What is a Defra Approved Multi Fuel Stove?

A defra approved multi fuel stove is one that has been cleared of the Defra smoke tests. They are also called SE (smoke exempt) stoves.

The Defra department of the government is responsible for the rules and regulations relating to agriculture, rural issues and the environment. The Defra test ensures you can burn wood or approved smokeless fuels, such as Anthracite ovals within a smoke-free area without causing any disturbance to your neighbors by emitting nuisance smoke.

Eco-Friendly

Eco-friendly stoves make use of renewable materials and fuels to reduce emissions. They typically burn wood or a combination of approved fuels, and are designed with environmental considerations in mind. A variety of eco-friendly log burners and multi fuel stoves are readily available with a range of styles from contemporary to traditional models. Some eco-friendly stoves use dung (the excrement of domestic livestock) as an extremely efficient and carbon-free alternative to wood.

The most important aspect to ensuring that your stove is eco-friendly is to ensure that the fuel you are using is properly seasoned and kiln dried. This helps reduce the moisture content and allows the wood to burn more efficiently, and produce less smoke. It is also a good idea to purchase only wood sourced from sustainable forests. Look for the Woodsure 'Ready to Burn' logo when buying wood to ensure that it has been dried at an appropriate level.

Most of the newer stoves meet strict EU EcoDesign Standards. These standards require stove manufacturers to design wood burning stoves keeping energy efficiency and the environment in mind. Ecodesign stoves should consider emissions, resource efficiency, and waste reduction. This makes them some of the greenest and most environmentally friendly stoves available.

Replace the grates on your stove with a ceramic grate. This makes it more sustainable. It is not just attractive, but it also has the added benefit of being anti-smoking and helping to reduce the amount of sulphur dioxide that is released into the air. Ceramic Grease liners also have a longer life time and are more easy to clean than steel inserts into grates.

In a Smoke Control Area you can still enjoy a wood burner or multi-fuel stove, but it is important to only use approved fuels by Defra. You could be in violation of the law if you do not. To avoid this, you should only use Defra approved fuels, such as anthracite that is manufactured smokeless, in your stove.

Clean Burning

Multi fuel stoves that have been approved by Defra are only permitted to be used in smoke-controlled areas if they burn only authorised smokeless fuel. It could be a form of manufactured or natural smokeless log or anthracite. it must adhere to certain rules to meet the requirements for an Defra approved wood burning stove. The stove makers must comply with the rules for selling a DEFRA-exempt wood burner. The Stove Yard has a an extensive choice of DEFRA approved multi-fuel stoves and wood burning stoves from top brands like Arada, Parkray and Burley.

These kinds of Defra exempt stoves offer the most advanced combustion technology, designed to reduce emissions and the build-up of tar up in your chimney and flue system. The stoves use secondary and tertiary systems that ignite particulates, tar gasses and other pollutants before they are released into the air. This is why Defra approved wood burning stoves are so much healthier than open fires as well as older models of stoves.

The design of a Defra approved stove is different too, most of our range will have an internal mechanism hidden within the stove that allows for a small circulation of air into the fire even if the air vents are closed. This is to stop soot and ash from being sent up the chimney which can block your stove and can lead to dangerous chimney fires.

The new Defra-approved stoves don't allow you to completely close the vents to let air in and then sleep on the stove overnight that could release part burned combustibles in the atmosphere.

A DEFRA-approved cooktop will have a longer burn duration compared to non-Defra stoves. However should you decide to swap your authorised fuel with smokeless coal in order to slumber the stove overnight and reduce the time of the burn as the continuous supply of air required for slumbering will reduce the burning of smokeless fuel.

Reduced Emissions

When properly used when it is properly used, a DEFRA exempt stove can produce extremely low levels of emissions. These emissions are usually PM2.5 particles which, when inhaled, could cause numerous health problems, including heart diseases and lung diseases.

The high combustion efficiency of a DEFRA approved wood burner decreases the amount of harmful particles and pollutants released during the combustion process. This greatly reduces the environmental impact especially in urban areas where pollution levels are high.

In addition to cutting harmful emissions, the efficiency of a stove decreases the cost of heating your home. Making use of an DEFRA approved wood burning stove instead of a conventional gas boiler can help reduce your carbon footprint and save you money on your energy costs.

If you live in an area where smoke is controlled, it's vital that your stove is DEFRA-approved (or smoke Control area stoves Exempt) because this will enable you to burn Defra Approved Fuels such as manufactured smokeless ovals like Anthracite or Homefire and dried wood and other fuels that are authorised. This will let you enjoy the fireplace without worrying that nuisance smoke will disturb your neighbours.

Many stoves that are DEFRA certified, are tested to meet clearSkies standards and can be labelled using the clearSkies label. The clearSkies scheme is an independent scheme that requires stove manufacturers to display information about the effectiveness and emissions of their products that allow consumers to make an informed decision. The information must include the stove's efficiency rating as well as emissions, as well as its type and size.

It's important to keep in mind that, as with Ecodesign the clearSkies regulations are minimum standards. Manufacturers can go above and beyond these. ESSE has developed its most recent stoves so that they are even more efficient and clean, producing less smoke without any compromise in the performance or control. This latest innovation utilizes patented Twin Catalytic Combustion Technology that recycles all smoke particles, reducing their impact on the environment.

In fact it's true that if you're in an smoke-free zone and are using a DEFRA Approved stove with a high-quality, kiln dried or seasoned log, you'll get as much, or even more, heat from the same amount of dry wood as you would if you were burning it in a non-DEFRA approved stove. It is up to 24 percent cheaper to heat your home by using an newest Defra Approved Stove than using gas boilers.

In compliance with Building Regulations

If you reside in a Smoke Control Area, it's important to have a DEFRA approved multi fuel stove. They have passed tests to ensure that they don't emit any smoke when burning authorised fuel, so they can be used in areas that are well-populated with buildings. We install and supply DEFRA approved log stoves made by top brands such as Mi-fires and Contura.

You can also safely burn peat, wood, and other solid fuels with a DEFRA-approved multi-fuel stove. It is essential to be aware that certain fuels cannot be used in Smoke Control Areas.

Proper ventilation is essential for safe operation of a multi fuel stove as this will help to reduce carbon monoxide accumulation in your home. DEFRA approved stoves come with an inbuilt ventilation system that supplies sufficient air to the combustion process. This ensures that your home is always well ventilated, and safe to use.

DEFRA approved stoves also have a minimum size of 550mm2, which means they can be used in combination with a standard dualwall flue system. Our range of flue liners can be used with DEFRA-approved stoves. You can make your fireplace meet the most recent emission standards with our wide selection.

Look for the DEFRA symbol on the stove's packaging or on the internet. Numerous reputable stove retailers will include this information on their websites and in-store displays to help you identify which stoves comply with the requirements.

If you're considering installing a multi-fuel stove, it's essential that you have the task completed by a licensed professional to ensure that you are in compliance with the building codes. Inadequately following instructions for installation could result in an expensive fine or Order DEFRA Stoves Online damage to your property. We suggest using an HETAS approved installer to complete the stove installation, since they are familiar with the manufacturer's guidelines and building regulations.