What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

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

They are independently tested to ensure the lowest possible emissions. Stoves with this status are often branded with the 'Defra-approved logo on their name or specification.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a Smoke Control Area means you can't have a wood burning stove but this isn't the case. In reality, a majority of cities and towns are within a smoke-free zone, but this doesn't mean you can't have stoves, it just means that you must make use of an exempt device and only use authorised fuels (usually briquettes) in your stove. The Defra-approved stove is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to ensure that it meets certain criteria in terms of the emissions it generates when burning authorised fuels. It can therefore be used legally in areas of smoke control.

The Defra logo is widely used in the industry and many of the stoves approved bear SE after their names, meaning they are smoke-free. In order for a stove to be SE approved, it must meet strict criteria in regards to its emissions, so you can be certain that when you purchase a stove that is defra exempt, you are getting the cleanest and most efficient wood stove on the market.

If you search for a stove that burns wood that is Defra exempt or is marked with SE after its name, you'll usually find that the manufacturer has carried out things such as made sure there enough air inlets on the front of the stove to allow full combustion of the fuel, and that the chimney outlet size is sufficient to prevent soot build-up. This is crucial because it ensures that the smoke from the wood burning stove doesn't escape through the chimney and into your home.

Another benefit of a Defra approved stove is that it usually allows you to install it with a 5" chimney liner, which will comply with UK building regulations. However, stoves that aren't Defra-approved will have to be fitted with a bigger 6" liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a variety of defra stoves Near me-approved fireplaces and stoves, as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed keeping future standards for air quality in mind. A large portion of our approved stoves can also be used combination with a smoke control system for properties that are located in Smoke Control Zones. They can be utilized to burn a variety of smokeless fuels, including fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

The only stove that can be used in a smoke-control area is one that is a DEFRA approved wood burner, also referred to as DEFRA exempt. The stove has to be used for solid fuel, which means wood, and preferably well-seasoned. The government tests these stoves to ensure that they don't release excessive smoke and that they are only suitable for use with fuels that are 'authorized.

The difference between a DEFRA-approved stove and one that is not approved is usually quite small. A lot of modern stoves can be made DEFRA conforming with a kit that is supplied by the manufacturer and installed in just a few minutes. This is because Defra approved appliances must pass very strict tests and have a limit on the amount of smoke they can produce.

To ensure that the restrictions are maintained the stove has to be able limit its combustion air to ensure that it doesn't starve itself of oxygen and cause it to smolder. This is done by a mechanism in the stove that allows a small amount of air into the firebox during combustion which is often hidden inside the stove, and under the base of the firebox.

Stove World UK offers a large selection of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the top DEFRA stoves manufacturers in the country, including Stovax, Arada and Burley. These are available in a vast variety of styles and designs. Select from a broad selection of Ecodesign stoves, which are designed to meet the future needs for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are usually situated around large cities and towns and you can visit the website of your local authority to determine if your area is classed as such. If you reside in a smoke controlled area it is very important that you buy a DEFRA approved stove for your home to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you burn unauthorised fuel in a non-approved stove, for example coal or other solid fuels and you are fined up to PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved wood stove, also called a smoke-free stove, is a device that can be used in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will have the Defra approved symbol or 'SE' front of its name that means it can only be used in smoke-controlled areas when you burn approved fuels. In this case wood.

A lot of older wood stoves emit large amounts of particulate matter. These can trigger or exacerbate respiratory problems, asthma attacks and heart issues. It is therefore important to purchase a stove that meets strict emission standards as set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which means that the stove has met the emission limits currently in place.

If you purchase a stove that is not EPA certified and you live in a smoke-free zone it is necessary to have it recertified before you can use it. It's time-consuming and expensive, but the law requires it. Homeowners who sell a house with wood stove that is not certified could be subject to tax credits or fines that relate to the clean air.

The majority of modern stoves can be altered to be Defra approved with a kit or an adjustment provided by the installer. The major difference between DEFRA approved stoves and ones that aren't is the combustion air control system that regulates the amount of air that flows through the stove when it's in normal operation. Modifications are usually applied to the base or the underside of a stove's firebox.

Certain manufacturers will make 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 rigorous Defra tests is expensive and to offset some of the costs, they'll offer the non-approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA approved version will have been able to have the modification to the combustion air performed as part of the testing procedure.

Gas Approved

Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes could use any fuel they wanted, which resulted in excessive smoke emissions. This caused health problems. To prevent this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas. This meant that homes could not produce any smoke except if their wood burners and multifuel stoves were Defra-approved for burning only approved materials such as manufactured smokeless coke and anthracite.

Defra approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been put through rigorous testing to demonstrate that they can safely burn approved fuels within a Smoke Control Area. They achieve this by utilising the latest combustion technology which continuously delivers a minimum amount of secondary air to the firebox, so that even if the stove is being used with authorised fuels such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals, it will still be able to comply with Defra's rules for Smoke Control Areas.

If you're in the market for a new wood burning stove and you live in an area that has a Smoke Control Area then we suggest that you take a look at the selection of Defra approved stoves that can be found here at The Stove Yard. We have a wide range of Defra-approved stoves, including traditional models, modern and inset from top brands like Stovax. Arada, Burley, and AGA.

The good thing is that there is no difference in appearance between a Defra-approved woodburning stove and a stove that is not approved. However the models that are Defra-approved include a few features designed to help them burn cleaner. They usually have an aesthetically different grate and air vents, and on gas versions they may have a larger flue outlet.

Another benefit of the Defra Approved stove is that they'll typically have a 5" (125mm) flue outlet which means that you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner which is cheaper than a standard 6" (150mm) liner. This is beneficial when putting an approved wood burning stove from Defra in an older or non-standard chimney stack. It will save you money re-lining a larger diameter chimney liner.