What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you live in an area where smoke is controlled, it's essential to buy a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt stove (or SE) permits you to legally burn wood in a smoke controlled area.

The stoves are independently tested for the lowest emissions possible. Stoves that are certified as such typically carry the word 'Defra approved' in their name or specification.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke controlled zone means that they aren't able to use a fireplace with wood. This isn't the case. Most cities and large towns are in a smoke control zone, however that doesn't mean they can't use a wood burning stove. It's simply that they need to burn authorised fuels in their stove (usually brquettes). The Defra approved stove is a specific type of wood burning stove that has been tested to ensure that it meets certain standards regarding the emissions that it produces when burning authorised fuels, and therefore it can be used legally in smoke control Area.

The Defra logo is widely used in the industry, and a lot of the stoves that are approved bear SE after their name which means they are smoke exempt. To be able to be SE approved, it must meet strict criteria with regards to emissions and emissions, so you can be certain that when you purchase an exempt defra stove, you are getting the cleanest and best burning wood stove on the market.

If you search for a wood-burning stove that is Defra exempt or is marked with SE after its name, you'll usually find that the manufacturer has done things like making sure there enough air inlets on the front of the stove to allow full combustion of the fuel and that the chimney outlet size is sufficient to prevent the build-up of soot. This is crucial because it ensures that the smoke from the wood burning stove does not escape through the chimney into your home.

A stove that is Defra-approved allows you to install a 5" liner that is in compliance with UK building regulations. Non-Defra-approved stoves require a 6" liner.

At Stovax we are delighted to offer a selection of Defra approved stoves and fires, alongside our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been created with the future standards of air quality in mind. Many of our stoves that are Defra-approved can also be used in conjunction with a smoke-control system for homes located in Smoke Control Zones. They can be used to burn a variety non-smokeless fuels, such as fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

The only stove that can be put in in a smoke-control area is a DEFRA approved wood burner, which is also known as DEFRA stoves disadvantages exempt. The stove has to be used with a solid fuel, which is wood, preferably well-seasoned. The government tests them to ensure they don't emit excessive smoke and are only suitable for use with 'authorized' fuels.

The difference between the differences between a DEFRA approved stove and a non-approved one typically is very small. With a kit provided by the manufacturer, many modern stoves can be easily transformed into DEFRA certified in a matter of only a few minutes. This is due to the fact that Defra approved appliances must pass very strict tests and are limited in the amount of smoke they are able to produce.

To ensure that these limitations are not violated during testing, the stove needs to be able to limit the amount of combustion air it gets so that it does not exhaust itself of oxygen, which may cause it to smoke. This is accomplished through a mechanism that opens a small amount air into the firebox when it is burning. It is usually concealed within the stove or beneath the base of its fire box.

Stove World UK offers a vast selection of DEFRA approved stoves from the country's best manufacturers, including Stovax, Wood Heater Arada and Burley. They are available in a wide range of styles and finishes. You can also choose from a wide range of Ecodesign ready stoves that have been specifically designed to meet future requirements for air quality.

Smoke Control Zones are mostly in large towns and cities. You can check the website of your local authority to determine if you live in one of these. It is essential to buy a DEFRA-approved stove if you reside in a smoke-controlled zone. This will allow you to avoid a fine from the local authority. If you burn coal or any other solid fuels in a stove that is not approved stove, you could be fined PS300.

Approved for wood

A DEFRA approved stove, also known as a smoke-free wood stove is an appliance that can be used to burn wood in a Smoke Control Area. The stove will bear the Defra approved logo or have 'SE' after its name meaning it is able to be used in smoke controlled areas that burn approved fuels only, in this case wood.

The older wood stoves produce huge amounts of particulate matter. This can trigger or exacerbate respiratory problems, asthma attacks and heart problems. Therefore, it is essential to buy a wood 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 is in compliance with the emission limits that are currently in place.

If you purchase a stove that is not EPA certified and you live in a zone of smoke control, you will need to get it recertified before you can use it. It can be costly and time-consuming, wood Heater but it is required by law. Additionally homeowners who sell a home that has a Wood heater stove that is not certified may be liable for clean air tax credits as well as fines.

Modern stoves can be modified to become Defra approved with a kit or an adjustment that the installer provides. The main difference between DEFRA approved stoves and those that aren't combustion air control system, which regulates the amount of air that passes through the stove when it is in normal operation. Modifications are usually applied to the base or side of the firebox that is underneath the stove.

Some manufacturers will produce two versions of their wood stove one that is Defra approved and the other not. This is because the process of running a stove through the strict Defra tests can be very costly in order to recover some of the cost, they'll offer the non-approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA-approved version will have been through the modification to the combustion air as part of the test process.

Approved Gas

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in residential homes could burn any kind of fuel they wanted, which resulted in large amounts of smoke emissions and health issues. To prevent this Defra created Smoke Control Areas which meant that residential homes could not emit any smoke from their multifuel stoves or wood burners unless the appliance was Defra approved for burning only authorised fuels such as manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also referred to as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have been subjected to rigorous testing to demonstrate that they are able to burn cleanly authorised fuels within a Smoke Control Area. They achieve this by utilising the latest combustion technology which constantly delivers a minimum level of secondary air to the combustion chamber, so that even if the stove is being used with fuels that are authorised, such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals, it will still be able to comply with Defra's rules for Smoke Control Areas.

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

The good thing is that there is no distinction in appearance between a Defra-approved woodburning stove and a stove that is not approved. However the stoves that are approved by Defra come with a few extra features that are designed to ensure they burn cleaner. They usually have an aesthetically different grate and air vents, and on gas versions they may have a slightly larger flue outlet.

Another benefit of an Defra Approved stove is that they will almost always come with five" (125mm) flue outlet, which means you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall chimney liner that is cheaper than the standard 6" (150mm) liner. This is a great option when you install wood-burning stoves that are Defra-approved in an older or non-standard chimney stack. It will save you money the cost of relining a chimney with a larger diameter liner.