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What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in a zone of smoke control it is essential to purchase a 5kw defra multifuel stove exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt (or SE) stove allows you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.

The stoves are independently tested for the lowest emission possible. Stoves with this status will often display the 'Defra-approved logo on their specifications or name.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke control zone means that they aren't able to use a fireplace with wood. This isn't the case. In reality, many cities and towns are in a smoke-free zone, but that doesn't mean you can't have stoves, it just means that you must use an exempt appliance and only use authorised fuels (usually brquettes) in your stove. The DEFRA stoves ratings approved stove is a kind of wood burning stove that has been tested to ensure it meets certain standards regarding the emissions it releases when burning authorised fuels and consequently, it is able to be used legally in a Smoke Control Area.

The Defra logo is widely used in the industry, and a lot of the stoves approved bear SE after their name which means they are smoke exempt. To be able to be SE approved, it must meet strict requirements in relation to emissions, so you can be certain that if you select a stove that is defra exempt, you are getting the cleanest and most efficient wood stove on the market.

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 taken care of things like ensuring that there are enough air intakes on the front of the stove to allow full combustion of the fuel and that the chimney outlet size is adequate to stop the build-up of soot. This is crucial because it ensures that the smoke from the wood stove does not escape through the chimney into your home.

A Defra-approved stove allows you to use a 5" liner which is compliant with UK building regulations. Non-Defra-approved stoves require a 6" liner.

At Stovax we are delighted to offer a variety of Defra approved stoves and fires. We also have our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been designed with future air quality standards in mind. In fact, many of our Defra approved stoves are also capable of being used with a smoke control kit for properties located in a Smoke Control Area and therefore can be used with a variety of approved smokeless fuels, including fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

A DEFRA approved high-quality stoves approved wood burning stove, also referred to as a DEFRA list stoves exempt stove is the only type of stove you can install in a smoke control zone when you plan to make use of it for solid fuel (wood, preferably well seasoned). The government tests them to ensure they don't emit excessive smoke and can be used only with fuels that are 'authorized.

The difference between a DEFRA-approved stove and one that isn't approved is usually very small. Modern stoves can be made DEFRA compliant with the kit supplied by the manufacturer and installed in just a few minutes. This is because Defra approved appliances must pass extremely rigorous tests and are limited in the amount of smoke they are able to produce.

To ensure that the restrictions are kept, the stove must be able to limit the amount of combustion air so that it doesn't starve itself of oxygen, which could cause it to smolder. This is accomplished through a mechanism that opens a small amount air into the firebox while it is burning. It is typically hidden within the stove or beneath the base of its fire box.

Stove World UK offers a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the country's best manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada and Burley. These are available in an enormous variety of styles and designs. You can also select from a vast selection of Ecodesign ready stoves that are specifically designed to meet future air quality requirements.

Smoke Control Areas are usually located in large cities and towns and you can check the website of your local authority to see if your area is classified as one. If you live in a smoke controlled area it is crucial that you purchase an DEFRA approved stove for your home, to avoid being fined by your local authority. This is because if you burn unauthorised fuel on an unapproved stove, like coal or any other solid fuels that could result in fines of up to PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved wood stove, also known as a smoke exempt stove, is a device that can be used in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will bear the Defra approved symbol or 'SE' in front of its name that means it can only be used in areas controlled by smoke if you burn approved fuels. In this instance wood.

Many older wood stoves emit huge amounts of particulate matter. This can lead to or worsen asthma attacks, respiratory issues and heart issues. This is why it's important to purchase new wood stoves that is compliant with the strict emission standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Look for an "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which signifies that the stove is in compliance with the emission limits that are currently in place.

If you purchase an appliance that isn't EPA certified and you live in a zone of smoke control it is necessary to get it recertified before you can use it. It is time-consuming and expensive, but the law requires it. Additionally homeowners who sell their home that has a wood stove that is not certified may be liable for clean air tax credits as well as fines.

With a kit, or an adjustment supplied by the installer, most modern stoves can become Defra-approved. The primary 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 is operating normally. The change is usually made on the underside of the firebox, or in the base.

Some manufacturers produce two versions of a wood stove, one that is Defra-approved, and the other not. The reason for this is that the cost of putting a wood stove through the rigorous Defra testing is costly. To help recoup these costs, they sell the non-approved version for a lower price. The DEFRA-approved model will have undergone the combustion air modification as part of the testing procedure.

Approved for Gas

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in residential homes could burn any type of fuel they wanted, which resulted in huge amounts of smoke emissions and health problems. To stop this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas which meant that residential homes couldn't produce any smoke from their wood burners or multifuel stoves unless the appliance was Order DEFRA stoves online approved 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 are able to burn cleanly authorized fuels within a Smoke Control Area. They achieve this by utilising the most advanced combustion technology that continuously delivers a minimum amount of secondary air to the firebox so that even if the stove is used with approved fuels like anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals, it will still be able to meet Defra's regulations for Smoke Control Areas.

The Stove Yard has a vast selection of stoves that are Defra approved which are perfect for those who live in a smoke control zone and require a brand new fireplace that burns wood. We offer a wide collection of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from industry-leading manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good news is that there isn't any noticeable distinction in appearance between the appearance of a Defra approved wood-burning stove and one that isn't, but the Defra approved models do have various features that are designed to ensure that they burn cleaner. They usually have an unintentionally different grate as well as air vents as well as on gas models they may have a slightly smaller flue outlet.

Another benefit of a Defra Approved stove is that they'll almost always come with five" (125mm) flue outlet which means that you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner, which is less expensive than the standard 6" (150mm) liner. We've found this useful when the customer has an older or non-standard chimney stack that we are installing the Defra approved wood burning stove into and also saves the expense of re-lining the chimney stack with a bigger diameter liner.