What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in an area where smoke is controlled, it's important to purchase a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt (or SE) stove allows you to burn wood legally in a smoke-controlled space.

The stoves are independently tested to ensure the lowest emissions possible. Stoves that have this status are usually branded with the 'Defra approved logo on their specifications or name.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke controlled zone means that they aren't able to use a fireplace with wood. This isn't the case. In reality, most cities and towns are within an area that is smoke-free, but this doesn't mean you cannot have stoves, it just implies that you have to make use of an exempt device and only burn authorised fuels (usually Briquettes) in your stove. The Defra approved stove is a specific type of wood burning stove that has been inspected to ensure it meets certain criteria regarding the emissions that it produces when burning fuels that are approved and therefore, it can be legally used in the Smoke Control Area.

The Defra logo is widely adopted in the industry and many of the stoves that have been approved have SE after their names, meaning they are smoke free. To be SE approved the stove must satisfy strict emission requirements. This means that you can be sure that you are buying the best Defra stoves wood stove on the market.

If you are searching for a stove that burns wood that is Defra-exempt, or has SE after its name, you will find that the manufacturer may have taken steps to make sure that there are enough air intakes on the front of stove to allow full combustion of fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is adequate to avoid soot accumulation. This is important because it ensures that the smoke from the stove doesn't escape the chimney and enter your home.

A stove that is Defra-approved permits you to install a 5" liner which is compliant with UK building regulations. Non-Defra-approved stoves require a 6" liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a variety of fireplaces and stoves that are Defra-approved, as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed keeping future standards for air quality in mind. In fact, many of our Defra approved stoves are suitable for use with smoke control kits for those properties that are in a Smoke Control Area and therefore can be used with a variety of smokeless fuels that are authorised, such as 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, also known by the name DEFRA stoves price range exempt. This stove must be used for solid fuel, that is wood, and Best defra stoves preferably well-seasoned. The government tests these stoves to ensure that they don't produce excessive smoke and that they are only suitable for use with approved fuels.

The difference between the differences between a DEFRA approved stove and a non-approved one can be very minimal. A lot of modern stoves can be transformed into DEFRA certified by a kit that is supplied by the manufacturer and installed within a matter of minutes. This is because the Defra approved stove must undergo rigorous testing and is limited to the amount of smoke it is able to produce.

To ensure that these limitations remain in place during the testing process, the stove will have to be capable of limiting the amount of combustion air it gets to ensure that it doesn't exhaust itself of oxygen, which may cause it to smoulder. This is achieved by an opening mechanism that lets the air in the firebox when it's burning. It is usually concealed in the stove or under the base of its firebox.

Stove World UK offers a vast selection of DEFRA approved stoves from the top manufacturers in the country including Stovax, Arada and Burley. They are available in a wide range of styles and finishes. Pick from a variety of Ecodesign stoves that are designed to meet the future demands for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are primarily situated around cities and towns with large populations and Best DEFRA stoves you can visit your local authority's website to determine if the area you live in is classified as one. If you live in a zone that is smoke-free, 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 use '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 stove, also known as a smoke-free wood stove is a device that can be used to burn wood in a Smoke Control Area. The stove will be stamped with the Defra approved logo or bear an 'SE' in its name which means that it can be used in smoke-controlled areas when burning approved fuels only that is, in this instance, wood.

Many older wood stoves emit large amounts of particulate matter into the atmosphere that can trigger or contribute to respiratory issues, asthma attacks, heart issues and premature death. This is why it is important to purchase a new wood stove that meets the strict emission standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Look for the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which indicates that the wood stove meets the emission limits that are currently in place.

If you buy a stove which is not EPA-certified and you reside in a smoking zone, you'll need to renew the certification before you can use the stove. It is costly and time-consuming, but the law requires it. In addition homeowners who sell a home with a wood stove that isn't certified could be subject to clean air tax credits and fines.

Modern stoves can be modified to become Defra approved by an adjustment kit or a kit that the installer offers. This is because the main difference between a DEFRA approved stove and one that aren't is the combustion air management system that regulates how much air flows through the stove during normal operation. The modification will usually be made on the underside of the firebox or in the base.

Some manufacturers will produce two versions of their wood stove, one that is Defra approved and the other that is not. This is because the process of running a stove through the strict Defra tests is expensive and to offset some of the cost, they'll sell the non-approved model at a lower price. The DEFRA approved version will have been able to have the modification to the combustion air included in the testing process.

Approved Gas

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in homes for residential use, homeowners could burn any type of fuel they liked which resulted in huge amounts of smoke emissions as well as health issues. To prevent this Defra created Smoke Control Areas which meant that residential homes couldn't produce any smoke from their multifuel stoves or wood burners unless the appliance was Defra approved for burning only authorised fuels such as manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also referred to as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have undergone rigorous testing to demonstrate that they can burn cleanly authorised fuels within a Smoke Control Area. They achieve this by utilising the latest technology for combustion that constantly delivers a minimum level of secondary air to the firebox so that even if the stove is used with fuels that are authorised, such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals it can still comply with the regulations of Defra for Smoke Control Areas.

The Stove Yard has a wide range of Defra-approved stoves that are perfect for those who live in a smoke control zone and require a brand new fireplace that burns wood. We have a broad selection of contemporary, traditional 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 distinction in appearance between an Defra approved woodburning stove and one that isn't, but the Defra approved models have various features that are designed to ensure they burn cleaner. They will usually have an unintentionally different grate as well as air vents as well as on gas models they may have a larger flue outlet.

A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have a 5" flue outlet (125mm). This means that you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible liner that is less expensive than a 6" (150mm). We've seen this helpful when the customer has an old or non-standard chimney stack which we are installing the Defra approved wood burning stove in to and also saves the expense of relining the chimney with a bigger diameter liner.