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) allows you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.

They are independently tested to ensure the lowest possible emissions. Stoves that are certified as such typically have the word 'Defra approved' in their name or specification.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke controlled area means they can't use a wood burning fireplace. This is not true. In reality, many cities and towns are within an area that is smoke-free, but that doesn't mean you cannot have a stove, it just means that you must make use of an exempt appliance and only burn authorised fuels (usually briquettes) in your stove. The Defra approved stove is a kind of wood-burning stove that has been inspected to ensure it meets certain criteria in relation to the emissions that it produces when burning fuels that are approved and consequently, it is able to be used legally in a Smoke Control Area.

The Defra Logo is widely used in the industry, and many 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 certain that if you select an exempt defra stove, you will receive the cleanest and most efficient wood stove on the market.

If you are searching for a wood-burning stove that is Defra-exempt or that has SE after its name, you will find that the manufacturer might have taken steps to ensure that there are sufficient air intakes on the front of the stove to ensure that there is a full combustion of fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is adequate to prevent the accumulation of soot. This is crucial as it ensures that the smoke from the stove doesn't escape the chimney and enter your home.

Another benefit of a Defra approved stove is that it typically permits you to use it with a 5" chimney liner, which complies with UK building regulations, whilst non-Defra approved stoves will need to be fitted with a bigger 6" liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a selection of Defra-approved Fireplaces And Stove and stoves, as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed with future air quality standards at heart. In fact, a lot of our Defra approved stoves are also able to be used with smoke control kits for those properties that are in a Smoke Control Area and so can be used with a variety of smokeless fuels that are authorised, such as 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 for solid fuel (wood or wood that is well-seasoned). They are tested by the government to ensure that they don't generate excessive levels of smoke. They are able to be used with 'authorized fuels (coal only).

The difference between the differences between a DEFRA approved stove and one that isn't is usually very little. With a kit from the manufacturer, many modern stoves can be made DEFRA compliant in minutes. This is because the Defra approved stove must undergo very rigorous tests and must be restricted on how much smoke it can produce.

To ensure that these limitations are not violated during testing, the stove must be able to limit 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 through a mechanism within the stove that opens a small amount of air into the firebox during combustion, which is often hidden inside the stove, and under the base of the fire box.

Stove World UK has a large selection of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the top brands in the country including Stovax Arada and Burley. These are available in an enormous variety of styles and finishes. Select from a broad selection of Ecodesign stoves, which are designed to meet future requirements for air quality.

Smoke Control Zones are located predominantly in towns and cities with large populations. You can check the website of your local authority to find out whether you reside in one of these. It is essential to buy an approved DEFRA stove if you reside in a zone that is smoke-controlled. This will help you avoid being fined by the local authority. If you use coal or other solid fuels using a non approved stove, you could be fined up PS300.

Approved for wood

A DEFRA approved wood stove also known as a smoke exempt 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 front of its name meaning it is only permitted to be used in smoke-controlled areas where you can burn approved fuels. In this case, wood.

A lot of older wood stoves emit huge amounts of particulate matter. These can trigger or exacerbate asthma attacks, respiratory issues and heart issues. This is why it's important to purchase a new wood stove that meets the strict emission standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 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 cooktop that is not EPA-certified, and you reside in a smoking zone, you'll need to recertify it before you can use the stove. This can be expensive and time-consuming, but it is required by law. Additionally homeowners who sell their home with a wood stove that isn't certified could be subject to clean air tax credits as well as fines.

Most modern stoves can be upgraded to become Defra approved with an adjustment kit or kit that the installer offers. 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 flows through the stove when it's operating normally. Modifications are typically made to the base or the side of the firebox that is underneath the stove.

Some manufacturers produce two versions of a wood stove: one that is Defra-approved, and the other that isn't. This is because the process of placing a stove through stringent Defra tests is expensive and to offset some of the costs, they'll sell the non-approved version at a lower cost. The DEFRA-approved version will have been through the modification to the combustion air as part of the test process.

Approved for Gas

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

Defra approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been put through rigorous testing to prove they can safely burn approved fuels within a Smoke Control Zone. The latest combustion technology delivers a constant minimum of secondary air into the firebox. This allows the stove to meet Defra regulations for Smoke Control Areas even when it is using authorised fuels like anthracite and manufactured smokeless coals.

If you're in the market for an all-new wood burning stove and live in Smoke Control Area then we suggest to look into the selection of defra stoves approved stoves which can be found here at The Stove Yard. We offer a wide selection of contemporary, traditional and inset Defra approved stoves from the most reputable manufacturers like Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good part is that there's much of a distinction in appearance between a Defra approved wood-burning stove and one that isn't. However, the Defra approved models do have various features that are designed to ensure they burn cleaner. In general, they have a different design of grate and air vents, and on the gas models they might also have a different sized flue outlet.

Another benefit of a Defra Approved stove is that they will almost always come with a 5" (125mm) flue outlet, which means you can choose a narrower stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner, which is less expensive than the standard 6" (150mm) liner. We've found this useful when a customer has an older or non-standard chimney that we are installing the Defra approved wood burning stove in to and it reduces the cost of relining the chimney with a larger diameter liner.