What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you live in a smoke control area it is essential to purchase a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt stove (or SE) allows you to legally burn wood in a smoke controlled area.

They are independently tested to provide the lowest possible emissions. Stoves with this certification typically have 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 they cannot make use of a fireplace that burns wood. It’s not the case. Many towns and cities fall under a smoke control zone but that doesn’t mean they aren’t able to use a wood burning stove. It just means they need to burn authorised fuels in their stove (usually brquettes). The stove that is DEFRA stoves Features-approved is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to make sure that it is in compliance with certain requirements in terms of the emissions it generates when burning authorised materials. It is therefore able to be legally used in a smoke control area.

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, a stove must meet strict emission criteria. This means that you can rest assured that you are purchasing the top wood stove available.

If you’re looking for a wood-burning stove which is DEFRA stoves cost-exempt or that has SE after its name You will see that the manufacturer might have done things like make sure that there are enough air intakes in the front of stove to ensure that there is a full combustion of the fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is adequate to prevent accumulation of soot. This is important because it ensures that smoke from the wood burning stove does not escape through the chimney and into your home.

Another benefit of an Defra approved stove is that it typically allows you to fit it with 5″ chimney liner, which will comply with UK building regulations, whilst stoves that are not Defra approved will need to be fitted with a larger 6″ liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a variety of fireplaces and stoves that are Defra-approved and Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed with future standards for air quality in mind. In fact, a lot of our Defra approved stoves are also suitable for use with smoke control kits for those properties that are located in a Smoke Control Area and therefore can be used with a range of authorised smokeless fuels including fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless fuels

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

The difference between the differences between a DEFRA approved stove and one that is not typically is very small. Many modern stoves can easily be made DEFRA conforming with an approved kit supplied by the manufacturer and then fitted in a matter of minutes. This is because Defra approved appliances must pass extremely rigorous tests and are limited in the amount of smoke they can produce.

To ensure that these restrictions are maintained during testing the stove must be capable of limiting the combustion air supply to ensure that it does not starve itself of oxygen, which may cause it to smoulder. 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 vast selection of DEFRA approved stoves from the country’s best manufacturers including 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 have been specifically designed to meet future standards for air quality.

Smoke Control Zones are located mainly in large cities and towns. You can go to the website of your local authority to determine whether you reside in one. If you live in a smoke controlled area it is very important that you purchase an defra burning mdf approved stove for your home to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you use ‘unauthorised fuel on a non-approved stove, like coal or any other solid fuels, you could be fined up to PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved stove, also known as a smoke exempt wood stove is a device that can be used to burn wood in the Smoke Control Area. The stove will be stamped with the Defra approved logo or bear ‘SE’ after its name meaning it is able to be used in smoke-controlled areas that burn approved fuels only which is in this case wood.

Many older wood stoves emit lots of particles into the air which can trigger or contribute to respiratory problems asthma attacks, heart issues and premature death. This is why it’s essential to buy an updated wood stove that is compliant with the strict emission standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Look for the “EPA 2020 Certified Label” which means that the stove is in compliance with the emission limits currently in place.

If you purchase a stove that is not EPA certified and you live in a smoke-free zone you must get it recertified before you can use it. It can be costly and time-consuming, but it is legally required. Homeowners who decide to sell a property with wood stoves that are not certified may be subject to tax credits or fines related to pollution-free air.

The majority of modern stoves can be altered to become Defra approved with an adjustment kit or a kit that the installer provides. This is because the primary difference between the DEFRA approved stove and those that are not, is the combustion air management system that regulates how much air flows through the stove in normal operation. Modifications are usually made to the base or underside of the firebox.

Certain manufacturers make two versions of a wood stove, one that is Defra-approved while the other not. This is because the process of placing a stove through rigorous Defra tests is very expensive in order DEFRA stoves online to recover some of the costs, they’ll sell the non-approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA-approved version has been subjected to the modification of the combustion air as part of the test procedure.

Approved for Gas

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in residential homes could burn any kind of fuel they wanted which resulted in large quantities of smoke emissions and health issues. To stop this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas. This meant that residential homes could not produce any smoke unless their wood burners and multifuel stoves were approved by Defra for burning only authorised materials such as manufactured smokeless coke and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also known as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have gone through rigorous testing to demonstrate that they can burn cleanly approved fuels in a Smoke Control Zone. The latest technology for combustion delivers an indefinite amount of secondary air into the firebox. This lets the stove meet Defra regulations for Smoke Control Areas even when it is used with authorised fuels such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals.

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

The good part is that there’s much of a difference in appearance between an Defra approved wood-burning stove and one that isn’t. However, the Defra approved models do have various features that are designed to ensure that they burn cleaner. They will usually have an aesthetically different grate and air vents, and on gas versions they may have a larger flue outlet.

A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have five” flue outlet (125mm). This means that you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible liner that is less expensive than a 6″ (150mm). This is useful when installing wood-burning stoves that are Defra-approved into an old or nonstandard chimney stack. It will save you money the cost of relining a chimney with a larger diameter liner.