What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you live 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 legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled space.

They are independently tested to ensure the lowest possible emissions. Stoves with this certification typically carry 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 you can't use a wood-burning stove however this isn't true. In reality, many cities and large towns are in a smoke controlled zone but that doesn't mean you cannot use an oven, it simply means that you must use an exempt appliance and only use authorised fuels (usually Briquettes) in your stove. The Defra approved stove is a specific type of wood burning stove that has been tested to ensure that it meets certain requirements regarding the emissions that it produces when burning authorised fuels, and therefore, it can be legally used in a Smoke Control Area.

The Defra logo is widely used in the industry and many of the stoves that have been approved have SE after their names which means they are smoke free. To be SE approved the stove must satisfy strict emission criteria. This means you can rest assured that you're buying the best wood stove that is available.

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

A stove that is Defra-approved permits you to use 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 Defra-approved fireplaces and stoves, as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed keeping future standards for air quality in mind. Many of our stoves that are Defra-approved are also able to be used in combination with a smoke control system for homes located in Smoke Control Areas. 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 installed within a smoke-control zone is one that is a DEFRA approved wood burner, also known as DEFRA exempt. This stove should be used with solid fuel, which is wood, which is best seasoned. They are inspected by the government to ensure that they don't produce excessive levels of smoke. They can be used with 'authorised' fuels (coal only).

The distinction between a stove that is DEFRA approved and one that isn't approved is usually minimal. Modern stoves can be converted to DEFRA compliant with the kit supplied by the manufacturer and installed in a matter of minutes. This is because the Defra approved stove must undergo very rigorous tests and is limited to the amount of smoke it can produce.

To ensure that these limitations are maintained during testing the stove must be capable of limiting the amount of combustion air it gets to ensure that it does not starve itself of oxygen, which can 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 DEFRA stoves comparison under the base of the fire box.

Stove World UK has a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the best manufacturers in the world, including Stovax Arada and Burley. These are available in an enormous variety of styles and finishes. Pick from a variety of Ecodesign stoves, which are designed to meet future demands for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are primarily located in large towns and city centres and you can check your local authority's website to determine if your area is classed as such. It is crucial to buy an approved DEFRA-approved stove if live in a smoke-controlled area. This will help you avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you burn 'unauthorised' fuel in a non-approved stove, like coal or other solid fuels and you are fined up to PS300.

Approved for wood

A DEFRA approved clean burning stoves approved stove, also known as a smoke-free wood stove is an appliance that can be used to burn wood in a Smoke Control Area. The stove will have the Defra approved symbol or the word 'SE' in the title, which means it is only permitted to be used in areas controlled by smoke if you burn approved fuels. In this case, wood.

The older wood stoves produce large amounts of particulate matter. These can cause or worsen asthma attacks, respiratory problems and heart problems. It is therefore essential to purchase a stove that is compliant with the strict emission standards as set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for a "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which signifies that the stove meets the emissions limits currently in place.

If you purchase an appliance that isn't EPA certified and you reside in a smoke-free zone it is necessary to have it recertified before you can use it. It can be costly and time-consuming, but the law requires it. In addition, homeowners who sell a house with a wood stove that isn't certified could be subject to clean air tax credits as well as fines.

With a kit or an adjustment made by the installer, the majority of modern stoves can be Defra approved. The major difference between DEFRA approved stoves and ones that aren't is the combustion air control system that controls the amount of air that passes through the stove when it's operating normally. Modifications are usually applied to the base or side of the firebox that is underneath the stove.

Certain manufacturers make two versions of a wood stove. One is Defra-approved while the other not. This is because the process of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra tests is very expensive, so to help recoup some of this expense they'll offer the non-approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA approved version will have been subjected to the modification of combustion air done as part of the testing process.

Approved Gas

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in homes for residential use, homeowners could burn any kind of fuel they wanted, which led to large amounts of smoke emissions as well as health problems. To prevent this Defra established 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 certified to burn only fuels that were authorised, such as manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also referred to as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have gone through rigorous tests to prove that they can cleanly burn authorised fuels within a Smoke Control Area. The latest combustion technology delivers an unabated minimum of secondary air into the firebox. This lets the stove comply with DEFRA Stoves comparison regulations for Smoke Control Areas even when it is used with approved fuels like anthracite and manufactured smokeless coals.

If you're looking for a new wood burning stove and you live in an area that has a Smoke Control Area then we recommend that you take a look at the range of Defra approved stoves that can be found here at The Stove Yard. We offer a wide range of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from the most reputable manufacturers like Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good thing is that there is no difference in appearance between a stove approved by Defra and a stove that is not approved. However the models that are Defra-approved come with a few extra features designed to ensure they burn more efficiently. They generally have a different design of grate and air vents, and on gas stoves they might also have an outlet for the flue that is different in size.

Another benefit of an Defra Approved stove is that they'll almost always come with five" (125mm) flue outlet. This means that you can use a narrower stainless steel twin wall chimney liner that is cheaper than the standard 6" (150mm) liner. 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 replacing a bigger diameter chimney liner.