What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in a region where smoke 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.

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

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke controlled area means they can't use a fireplace with wood. This is not true. In reality, many cities and towns are in a smoke-free zone, however this doesn't mean that you cannot use 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 wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to ensure that it meets certain criteria regarding the emissions it produces when burning authorised materials. It can therefore be legally used in areas of smoke control.

The Defra Logo is widely used in the industry, and many stoves are marked with the SE after their names to indicate that they are smoke-free. To be able to be SE approved, it must meet strict requirements in relation to its emissions So you can be assured that if you select a stove that is defra exempt, you will receive the cleanest and most efficient wood stove on the market.

When you look for a wood-burning stove that is Defra exempt or is marked with SE after its name, you will often find that the manufacturer has carried out things like making sure there are enough air inlets on the front of the stove to allow full combustion of the fuel and that the chimney outlet is large enough to prevent the build-up of soot. This is important as it will ensure that the smoke from the stove doesn't escape through the chimney and into your home.

Another benefit of an Defra approved stove is that it generally allows you to install it with 5" chimney liner, which is in compliance with UK building regulations, whereas stoves that are not Defra approved will need to be fitted with a bigger 6" liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a selection of fireplaces and stoves that are Defra-approved as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed with future air quality standards at heart. In fact, stove many of our Defra approved stoves are able to be used with smoke control kits for properties in a Smoke Control Area and can therefore be used with a range of authorised smokeless fuels including fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

The only stove that can be used inside a smoke-control zone is a DEFRA approved wood burner, also referred to by the name DEFRA exempt. This stove should be used with a solid fuel, that is wood, preferably well-seasoned. They are inspected by the government to ensure that they don't produce excessive levels of smoke. They can be used with approved' fuels (coal only).

The distinction between a stove that is DEFRA approved and one that is not approved is usually minimal. Many modern stoves can easily be made DEFRA conforming with an approved kit supplied by the manufacturer and installed within a matter of minutes. This is due to the fact that Defra approved appliances must pass extremely rigorous tests and are restricted in the amount of smoke they are able to produce.

To ensure that these restrictions are maintained during testing the stove needs to be able to limit the amount of combustion air it gets so that it does not starve itself of oxygen, which can cause it to smoke. This is done by a mechanism in the stove that opens an air pocket into the firebox during combustion which is typically hidden within the stove, and under the base of the fire box.

Stove World UK offers a large selection of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the best brands in the country such as Stovax, stove Arada and Burley. These are available in a vast range of styles and finishes. You can also choose from a wide variety of Ecodesign ready stoves that have been designed to meet future standards for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are typically located in large cities and towns and you can look up the website of your local authority to determine if the area you live in is classed as such. It is important to purchase an approved DEFRA stove if you reside in a smoke-controlled zone. This will allow you to avoid being fined by your local authority. If you use coal or any other solid fuels in a non approved stove, you may be fined up PS300.

Approved for wood

A DEFRA approved stove, also called a smoke-free wood stove is an appliance which can be used to burn wood in a Smoke Control Area. The stove will bear the Defra approved symbol or 'SE' in the title meaning it is only permitted to be used in areas controlled by smoke when you burn approved fuels. In this instance wood.

The older wood stoves can release large amounts of particles into the air, which can cause or contribute to respiratory issues, asthma attacks, heart issues and premature death. Therefore, it is essential to purchase a stove that is in compliance with strict emission standards as set by the Environmental Protection Agency. You should look for the "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which indicates that the stove meets the emission limits currently in place.

If you purchase a stove which is not EPA-certified and you reside in a smoke-free area you'll have to renew the certification before you can use the stove. It's time-consuming and expensive, but the law requires it. Additionally homeowners who sell a home that has a wood stove that is not certified could be liable for clean air tax credits as well as fines.

With a kit or an adjustment supplied by the installer, a majority of modern stoves can be made DEFRA approved eco design stoves-approved. This is because the main difference between the DEFRA approved stove and one that are not, is the combustion air management system that regulates how much air flows through the stove in normal operation. Modifications are usually done to the base or the side of the firebox that is underneath the stove.

There are some manufacturers who produce two versions of a wood stove, one that is Defra-approved and the other that isn't. The reason for this is that the cost of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra testing is high. To help recoup these costs, they will sell the non approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA approved version will have had the combustion air modification performed as part of the testing process.

Approved for Gas

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought into effect, residential homes could use any type of fuel they wanted which led to large quantities of smoke emissions and health issues. To combat this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas. This meant that residential homes could not emit any smoke in the event that their wood burners or multifuel stoves were approved by Defra for burning only authorised materials like manufactured smokeless coke and anthracite.

Defra approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been subjected to rigorous tests to demonstrate that they can burn authorised fuels cleanly in a Smoke Control Zone. The latest combustion technology delivers an unabated minimum of secondary air into the firebox. This allows the stove to meet Defra standards for Smoke Control Areas even when it is used with authorised fuels such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals.

If you're in the market for a new wood burning stove and live in Smoke Control Area then we would recommend to look into the range of Defra approved stoves which are available at The Stove Yard. We offer a variety of stoves that are Defra-approved, including traditional modern, contemporary and inset models that are made by top manufacturers such as Stovax. Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good thing is that there is no difference in appearance between a stove approved by Defra and one that isn't. However, the Defra-approved models do come with a few extra features designed to ensure they burn more efficiently. They will usually have an unintentionally different grate as well as air vents as well as on gas models they may have a slightly larger flue outlet.

A DEFRA list stoves Approved Stove will almost always have 5" flue outlet (125mm). This means that you can choose a smaller stainless twin wall flexible liner, which is less expensive than a 6" (150mm). This is useful when installing wood-burning stoves that are Defra-approved into an old or nonstandard chimney stack. It saves money on re-lining a larger diameter chimney liner.