What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in a smoke control area then it is crucial to purchase a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt stove (or SE) permits you to legally burn wood in a smoke controlled area.

The stoves are tested independently to ensure the lowest possible emissions. Stoves with this certification often feature the word 'Defra approved' in their names or specifications.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke control area means they can't make use of a fireplace that burns wood. This isn't the case. Most cities and large towns fall under a smoke control zone but that doesn't mean they can't use a wood burning stove. It just means they must burn authorised fuels in their stove (usually brquettes). The Defra-approved stove is a wood-burning stove that has been rigorously tested to ensure that it meets certain criteria regarding the emissions it produces when burning authorised materials. This means it can be legally used in smoke-control zones.

The Defra Logo is widely used in the industry, and a lot of stoves feature the SE after their names to indicate that they are smoke-free. To be able to be SE approved it must meet strict criteria with regards to its emissions, so you can be assured that if you choose a stove that is defra exempt, you will get the most clean and best burning wood stove available.

If you're looking for a wood-burning stove which is Defra-exempt or that has SE after its title You will see that the manufacturer has taken measures to ensure that there are enough air intakes on the front of stove to allow for full combustion of the fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is sufficient to prevent accumulation of soot. This is important because it helps to ensure that the smoke from the stove doesn't escape through the chimney and into your home.

A Defra-approved stove allows you to use a 5" liner which is compliant with UK building regulations. Non-Defra-approved stoves require an 6" liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a range of Defra-approved fireplaces and stoves, as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed keeping future air quality standards at heart. Many of our stoves that are Defra-approved can also be used in conjunction with a smoke-control system for homes located in Smoke Control Zones. They can be utilized to burn a variety of in smokeless fuels, including fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

The only stove that can be put in in a smoke-control area is a DEFRA approved wood burner, DEFRA Recommended stoves also known by the designation DEFRA exempt. This stove should be used with a solid fuel, which means wood, preferably well-seasoned. The government tests them to ensure they don't produce excessive smoke and that they can be used only with approved fuels.

The difference between the differences between a DEFRA approved stove and one that is not is usually very little. With a kit provided by the manufacturer, a lot of modern stoves can be easily made DEFRA certified in a matter of just a few minutes. This is due to the fact that a Defra approved stove has to undergo very rigorous tests and has to be limited on how much smoke it is able to produce.

To ensure that the restrictions are not violated the stove must be able limit its combustion air so that it doesn't deprive itself of oxygen and cause it to smolder. This is accomplished by a mechanism in the stove which opens an air pocket into the firebox during the process of combustion, which is typically hidden within the stove, and under the base of the firebox.

Stove World UK offers a vast selection of DEFRA approved stoves from the top manufacturers in the country such as Stovax, Arada and Burley. They are available in an enormous variety of styles and finishes. You can also pick from a vast variety of Ecodesign ready stoves that are designed to meet the future air quality requirements.

Smoke Control Areas are primarily located around cities and towns with large populations and you can look up the official website of your local authority to determine if the area you live in is classified as one. If you reside in a smoke controlled area it is very important to purchase a DEFRA approved stove for your home, to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you burn unauthorised fuel in an unapproved stove, such as coal or any other solid fuels that could result in fines of up to PS300.

Approved for wood

A DEFRA approved wood stove also called a smoke-free stove is an appliance that can be used in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will bear the Defra approved symbol or 'SE' in the title, which means it can only be used in areas controlled by smoke where you can burn approved fuels. In this instance wood.

Many older wood stoves emit huge amounts of particulate matter. These can lead to or worsen respiratory problems, asthma attacks and heart issues. It is therefore important to buy a wood stove that meets strict emission standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which means that the stove is in compliance with the emission limits currently in place.

If you purchase a stove that is not EPA certified and you live in a smoke control area, you will need to get it recertified before you can use it. It can be costly and time-consuming, but it is legally required. Homeowners who decide to sell a property with wood stoves that are not certified may be subject to tax credits or fines that relate to pollution-free air.

Modern stoves can be modified to become Defra approved using a kit or an adjustment that the installer offers. This is because the main difference between the DEFRA approved stove and those which aren't, is the combustion air management system that regulates the amount of air that passes through the stove in normal operation. The change is usually placed on the underside of the firebox or within the base.

Some manufacturers produce two different versions of a wood stove, one that is Defra-approved, and the other not. The reason is that the cost of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra testing is high. To help recoup the costs, they sell the non approved version at a lower price. The DEFRA-approved version will have been through the modification to the combustion air as part of the testing procedure.

Gas Approved

Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes could use any fuel they wanted to, leading to large amounts of smoke emissions. This could cause health problems. To combat this Defra created Smoke Control Areas which meant that residential homes couldn't produce any smoke from their wood burners or multifuel stoves unless the appliance was Defra approved to burn only approved fuels like manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also referred to as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have been subjected to rigorous tests to prove that they can burn cleanly authorized fuels within a Smoke Control Area. They do this by using the latest technology for combustion that constantly delivers a minimum level of secondary air to the firebox, to ensure that even if the stove is operating with authorised fuels such as anthracite or DEFRA recommended stoves manufactured smokeless coals it can still meet Defra's regulations for Smoke Control Areas.

The Stove Yard has a large selection of Defra-approved stoves that are perfect for those who reside in a smoke control zone and require a brand new fireplace that burns wood. We offer a wide collection of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from industry-leading manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good thing is that there's not any noticeable difference in appearance between the appearance of a defra exempt stoves approved wood-burning stove and one that isn't, but the defra Recommended stoves approved models do come with several features that are designed to ensure that they burn more efficiently. They typically have an unintentionally different grate as well as air vents, and on gas versions they may have a slightly smaller flue outlet.

A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have five" flue outlet (125mm). This means that you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible liner, which is less expensive than a 6" (150mm). This is a great option when you install a Defra-approved wood burning stove into an old or nonstandard chimney stack. It will save you money re-lining a larger diameter chimney liner.