What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in a smoke-free zone then it is crucial to buy a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt stove (or SE) allows you to legally burn wood in a smoke controlled area.

The stoves are independently tested to ensure the lowest emissions possible. 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 stove that burns wood and this is not true. In reality, most cities and large towns are in a smoke controlled zone but this doesn't mean you cannot have stoves, it just means that you must make use of an exempt device and only burn fuels that are approved (usually briquettes) in your stove. The stove that is Defra-approved is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to ensure that it meets certain standards regarding the emissions it produces when burning approved materials. It is therefore able to be legally used in smoke-control zones.

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

If you search for a wood-burning stove that is Defra exempt or has SE after its name, you will often discover that the manufacturer has carried out things like ensuring that there enough air inlets on the front of the stove to allow for full combustion of the fuel and that the chimney outlet size is adequate to stop the build-up of soot. This is important because it ensures that smoke from the wood burning stove is not able to escape through the chimney into your home.

A Defra-approved stove allows you to install a 5" liner that is in compliance with UK building regulations. Non-Defra-approved stoves require a 6" liner.

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

Approved for Smokeless fuels

A DEFRA approved wood burning stove, also referred to as a DEFRA exempt stove is the only type of stove you can install in a smoke control area if you plan to use it to burn solid fuel (wood and preferably well-seasoned). They are inspected by the government to ensure that they don't produce excessive levels of smoke and can be used with 'authorised' fuels (coal only).

The difference between the differences between a DEFRA approved stove and one that isn't typically is very small. With a kit provided by the manufacturer, many contemporary stoves can be easily converted to defra exempt stoves conforming in just a few minutes. This is because a Defra approved stove must undergo very rigorous tests and must be restricted to the amount of smoke it is able to produce.

To ensure that the restrictions are kept, the stove must be able to limit its combustion air to ensure that it doesn't starve itself of oxygen which can cause it to smolder. This is done by a mechanism in the stove that opens the air into the firebox during combustion which is often hidden inside the stove, and under the base of the fire box.

Stove World UK offers a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves from the country's best manufacturers including Stovax, Arada and Burley. They are available in an enormous variety of styles and designs. Pick from a variety of Ecodesign stoves, which are designed to meet future requirements for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are primarily located around cities and towns with large populations and you can look up the website of your local authority to determine if your area is classed as such. If you reside in a zone that is smoke-free, it is very important to purchase a DEFRA approved stove for your property, to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you burn 'unauthorised fuel on a non-approved stove, for example coal or any other solid fuels, you could be fined up to PS300.

Approved for wood

A DEFRA approved stove, also known as a smoke exempt wood stove is a device that can be used to burn wood in smoke Control Area. The stove will be stamped with the Defra approved logo or have 'SE' after its name which means it can be used in smoke-controlled areas, when burning approved fuels, in this case wood.

The older wood stoves produce huge amounts of particulate matter. This can lead to or worsen respiratory problems, asthma attacks and heart issues. It is therefore important to purchase a stove that meets strict emission standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which indicates that the stove has met the emission limits currently in place.

If you purchase a stove that is not EPA-certified, and you reside in a smoke-free area, you'll need to get it recertified before you can use the stove. It's costly and time-consuming, but the law requires it. Homeowners who sell a home with wood stoves that are not certified could be liable for tax credits or fines relating to the clean air.

The majority of modern stoves can be modified to become Defra approved using a kit or an adjustment that the installer offers. The primary difference between DEFRA approved stoves and those that aren't combustion air control system, which controls the amount of air that flows through the stove when it's operating normally. Modifications are typically done to the base or underside of a stove's firebox.

Some manufacturers produce two versions of their wood stove one that is Defra approved and the other that is not. This is because the process of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra tests is expensive in order to recover some of this expense they'll sell the non-approved model at a lower price. The DEFRA approved version will have been subjected to the modification of combustion air done as part of the testing process.

Approved for Gas

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in residential homes could burn any type of fuel they wanted which resulted in large amounts of smoke emissions as well as health problems. To prevent 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 certified to burn only approved fuels like manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been put through rigorous tests to prove that they can efficiently burn fuels that are approved within a Smoke Control Area. The latest technology for combustion delivers a constant minimum of secondary air into the firebox. This lets the stove comply with Defra regulations for Smoke Control Areas even when it is using authorised fuels like anthracite as well as manufactured smokeless coals.

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 wood burning fireplace. We have an extensive collection 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 that is Defra-approved and one that isn't. However, the Defra-approved models do have a few features designed to ensure they burn more efficiently. They generally have a different grate design as well as air vents. On gas stoves, they may also have an outlet for the flue that is different in size.

A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have 5" flue outlet (125mm). This means you can choose a smaller stainless twin wall flexible liner, which is less expensive than a 6" (150mm). This is beneficial when putting wood-burning stoves that are Defra-approved in an older or non-standard chimney stack. It saves money on replacing a bigger diameter chimney liner.