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 legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.

The stoves are independently tested to ensure the lowest emission possible. Stoves with this status are usually branded with the 'Defra approved logo on their specifications or name.

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. The majority of towns and cities fall under a smoke control zone, but that doesn't mean they can't use a wood burning stove. It's just that they must burn authorised fuels in their stove (usually Briquettes). The Defra-approved stove is a wood-burning stove that has been rigorously tested to ensure that it meets certain criteria in terms of the emissions it generates when burning authorised fuels. It is therefore able to be used legally in smoke-control zones.

The Defra logo is widely adopted by the industry and a large number of the stoves that have been approved bear SE after their names, meaning they are smoke free. To be able to be SE approved, it must satisfy strict criteria with regards to its emissions and emissions, so you can be certain that if you select an exempt defra stove, you are getting the cleanest and most efficient wood stove available.

When you look for a wood-burning stove that is Defra exempt or has SE after its name, you will often find that the manufacturer has done 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 sufficient 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 and into your home.

Another benefit of a Defra approved stove is that it typically allows you to install it with five" chimney liner, which is in compliance with the UK building regulations. However, non-Defra approved stoves will need to be fitted with a larger 6" liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a range of DEFRA lawful stoves stoves Comparison (utahsyardsale.com)-approved fireplaces and stoves as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed with future air quality standards at heart. Many of our Defra-approved stoves are also able to be used in combination with a smoke control system for properties located in Smoke Control Areas. They can be used to burn a variety smokeless fuels, including fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

A DEFRA approved wood burning stove, also known 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 or wood that is well-seasoned). The government tests them to ensure they don't release excessive smoke and are only suitable for use with approved fuels.

The distinction between a stove that is DEFRA approved and one that is not approved is usually quite small. A lot of modern stoves can be converted to DEFRA certified by an approved kit supplied by the manufacturer and installed within a matter of minutes. This is because Defra approved appliances must pass extremely stringent tests and have a limit on the amount of smoke they can produce.

To ensure that these restrictions remain in place during the testing process, the stove must be able to limit its combustion air supply to ensure that it doesn't deplete itself of oxygen, which could cause it to smolder. This is achieved by a mechanism in the stove that allows a small amount of air into the firebox during combustion, which is typically hidden within the stove, and under the base of the firebox.

Stove World UK offers a large selection of DEFRA approved stoves from the top manufacturers in the country including Stovax, Arada and Burley. They are available in a wide range of styles and finishes. Select from a broad selection of Ecodesign stoves that are designed to meet the upcoming requirements for air quality.

Smoke Control Zones are mainly in towns and cities with large populations. You can go to the website of your local authority to see whether you are in one of these. It is essential to buy an approved DEFRA stove if you reside in a smoke-controlled zone. This will help you avoid being fined by your local authority. This is because if you burn 'unauthorised' fuel in a non-approved stove, such as coal or other solid fuels, you could be fined up to PS300.

Approved for Wood

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

A lot of older wood stoves emit large amounts of particulate matter. These can lead to or worsen asthma attacks, respiratory issues and heart issues. Therefore, it is essential to purchase a stove that is in compliance with strict emission standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which means that the stove has met the emission limits that are currently in place.

If you purchase a stove that is not EPA-certified, and you reside in a smoke-free area you'll have to recertify it before you can use the stove. It can be costly and time consuming, but it is required by law. In addition, homeowners who sell a house with a wood stove that isn't certified could be subject to clean air tax credits as well as fines.

With a kit or an adjustment provided by the installer, most modern stoves can be Defra approved. The major difference between DEFRA approved stoves and those that aren't is the combustion air control system that regulates the quantity of air that goes through the stove when it's in normal operation. The modifications are usually located on the bottom of the firebox, or in the base.

There are some manufacturers who produce two different versions of a wood stove. One is Defra-approved, and the other not. The reason is that the cost of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra testing is costly. To reduce the costs, they sell the non-approved version at a lower price. The DEFRA-approved version has been through the modification to the combustion air in the course of the test process.

Approved for Gas

Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes could burn any fuel they wanted, which resulted in large amounts of smoke emissions. This led to health issues. To stop this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas which meant that residential homes could not emit any smoke from their wood burners or multifuel stoves unless the appliance was Defra certified to burn only fuels that were authorised, such as manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been subjected to rigorous tests to prove they can safely burn approved fuels within a Smoke Control Area. They accomplish this by using the latest combustion technology which continually delivers a minimum amount of secondary air to the firebox, so that even when the stove is being used with authorised fuels such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals it will still be able to comply with the regulations of order DEFRA stoves online for Smoke Control Areas.

If you're looking for a new wood burning stove and live in a Smoke Control Area then we suggest to look into the wide selection of Defra approved stoves that can be found here at The Stove Yard. We have an extensive collection of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from industry-leading manufacturers like Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good news is that there is no visual difference between a stove approved by Defra and a non-approved model. However the stoves that are approved by DEFRA approved sustainable stoves include a few features that are designed to help them burn cleaner. Generally they will have a different design of grate and air vents, and on the gas versions they might also have an alternative size flue outlet.

A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have 5" flue outlet (125mm). This means you can choose a smaller stainless twin wall flexible liner that is less expensive than a 6" (150mm). We've found this useful when the customer has an older or non-standard chimney that we are installing the Defra approved wood burning stove in to and it saves the cost of re-lining the chimney stack with a wider diameter liner.