What is a DEFRA certified stoves Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you live in a zone of smoke control then it is crucial to buy a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt (or SE) stove permits you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.

The stoves are independently tested to ensure the lowest emission possible. Stoves with this certification typically have the ‘Defra approved’ logo in their name or specification.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke-free area means they can’t make use of a fireplace that burns wood. This is not true. In reality, many cities and large towns are located in an area that is smoke-free, but that doesn’t mean you cannot use a stove, it just means that you must make use of an exempt appliance and only use authorised fuels (usually briquettes) in your stove. The Defra-approved stove is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to make sure that it meets certain standards in terms of the emissions it generates when burning authorised materials. It is therefore able to be used legally in areas of smoke control.

The Defra Logo is widely used in the industry, and a lot of stoves feature the SE after their names to indicate that they are smoke-free. To be SE approved the stove must satisfy strict emission requirements. This means that you can be sure that you are purchasing the top wood stove on the market.

If you search for a wood burning stove that is Defra exempt or has SE after its name, you’ll usually discover that the manufacturer has carried out things like ensuring that 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 stop the build-up of soot. This is important as it ensures that the smoke from the wood stove is not able to escape through the chimney into your home.

Another benefit of the Defra approved stove is that it usually permits you to use it with 5″ chimney liner, which complies with UK building regulations, whereas stoves that aren’t DEFRA stoves price range-approved will have to be fitted with a bigger 6″ liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a variety 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, many of our Defra approved stoves are also suitable for use with a smoke control kit for those properties that are in a Smoke Control Area and so can be used with a range of smokeless fuels that are authorised, such as fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

The only stove that can be installed inside a smoke-control zone is one that is a affordable DEFRA stoves approved wood burner, also referred to by the designation DEFRA exempt. This stove should be used for solid fuel, which is wood, preferably well-seasoned. They are inspected by the government to ensure that they don’t produce excessive amounts of smoke and can be used with approved’ fuels (coal only).

The difference between the difference between a DEFRA approved stove and a non-approved one can be very minimal. With a kit supplied by the manufacturer, a lot of modern stoves can be converted to DEFRA certified in a matter of only a few 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 the restrictions are not violated the stove must be able to limit the amount of combustion air to ensure that it doesn’t starve itself of oxygen, which could cause it to smolder. This is achieved by a mechanism that opens the air in the firebox while it is burning. It is usually concealed within the stove or beneath the base of the fire box.

Stove World UK offers a large selection of DEFRA stoves installation approved stoves from the top manufacturers in the country such as Stovax, Arada and Burley. They are available in a wide range of styles and finishes. You can also choose from an impressive variety of Ecodesign ready stoves that are designed to meet the future requirements for air quality.

Smoke Control Zones are located mostly in towns and cities with large populations. You can check the website of your local authority to find out whether you are in one of these. It is essential to buy a DEFRA regulations stoves [click for info]-approved stove if you reside in a zone that is smoke-controlled. This will allow you to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you use ‘unauthorised’ fuel in an unapproved stove, such as coal or other solid fuels that could result in fines of up to PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved stove, also known as a smoke-free wood stove is a device that can be used to burn wood in a Smoke Control Area. The stove will be marked with the Defra approved symbol or ‘SE’ the title that means it can only be used in areas controlled by smoke if you burn approved fuels. In this case wood is the fuel.

Many older wood stoves emit a lot of particulate matter into the atmosphere which can trigger or contribute to respiratory problems, asthma attacks, heart issues and premature death. This is why it’s essential to buy a new wood stove that meets the strict emission standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Look for an “EPA 2020 Certified” label, which means that the stove is in compliance with the emissions limits that are currently in place.

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

With a kit, or an adjustment provided by the installer, most modern stoves can be made Defra-approved. The major difference between DEFRA approved stoves and ones that aren’t is the combustion air control system, which controls the amount of air that passes through the stove 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 types of wood stove. One is Defra-approved and the other that isn’t. The reason is that the cost of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra testing is costly. To offset these costs, they will sell the non-approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA approved version will have been subjected to the modification of combustion air performed as part of the testing process.

Approved for Gas

Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes could burn any fuel they wanted, resulting in large amounts of smoke emissions. This led to health issues. To combat this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas. This meant that homes could not emit any smoke unless their wood burners and multifuel stoves were Defra-approved for burning only authorised materials like manufactured smokeless coke and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also known as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have been subjected to rigorous testing to demonstrate that they can burn cleanly approved fuels in a Smoke Control Zone. The latest combustion technology delivers a constant minimum of secondary air into the firebox. This allows the stove to meet Defra regulations for Smoke Control Areas even when it is used with authorised fuels like anthracite as well as manufactured smokeless coals.

If you’re looking to purchase a new wood burning stove and you live in a Smoke Control Area then we recommend that you look at the range of Defra approved stoves which can be found here at The Stove Yard. We offer a wide selection of contemporary, traditional and inset Defra approved stoves from the most reputable manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good news is there is no difference in appearance between a stove approved by Defra and a non-approved model. However the models that are Defra-approved include a few features that are designed to help them burn cleaner. In general, they have a different grate design and air vents and on the gas models they might also have a different sized flue outlet.

A DEFRA approved low emission stoves Approved Stove will almost always have a 5″ flue outlet (125mm). This means that you can choose a smaller stainless twin wall flexible liner that is cheaper than a 6″ (150mm). This is beneficial when putting wood-burning stoves that are Defra-approved into an old or nonstandard chimney stack. It saves money on the cost of relining a chimney with a larger diameter liner.