What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?
If you reside in a smoke-free zone 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.
The stoves are independently tested to ensure the lowest possible emissions. Stoves that are certified as such typically have the word 'Defra approved' in their names or specifications.
Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas
Many people believe that living in a smoke control area means they can't use a wood burning fireplace. This isn't the case. The majority of towns and cities are in a smoke control zone, but that doesn't mean you can't use a wooden burning stove. It's simply that they must burn authorised fuels in their stove (usually brquettes). The Defra approved stove is a type of wood burning stove that has been tested to ensure that it meets certain standards in relation to the emissions that it produces when burning authorised fuels, and consequently, it is able to be legally used in smoke control Area.
The Defra Logo is widely used in the industry, and many stoves are marked with the SE after their names to indicate they are smoke-free. To be able to be SE approved, it must satisfy strict requirements in relation to emissions So you can be sure that when you purchase an exempt defra stove, you will get the most clean and best burning wood stove available.
If you're looking for a stove that burns wood that is Defra-exempt or that has SE after its name, you will find that the manufacturer might have done things like make sure that there are enough air intakes on the front of the stove to ensure that there is a full combustion of fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is adequate to avoid soot accumulation. This is crucial as it helps to ensure that the smoke from the stove does not escape through the chimney and into your home.
Another benefit of the Defra approved stove is that it usually permits you to use it with a 5" chimney liner, which complies with the UK building regulations, whereas non-Defra approved stoves will need to be fitted with a larger 6" liner.
At Stovax we are proud to offer a range of Defra approved stoves and fires, alongside our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been designed with future air quality standards in mind. In fact, many 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 can therefore be used with a range of approved smokeless fuels, including fire logs.
Approved for Smokeless Fuels
A DEFRA approved wood burning stove, also referred to as a DEFRA exempt stove is the only type of stove that you can put in a smoke control area when you plan to use it for solid fuel (wood or wood that is well-seasoned). They are tested by the government to ensure that they don't create excessive amounts of smoke and are able to be used with 'authorized fuels (coal only).
The distinction between a stove that is DEFRA approved and one that isn't approved is usually very small. With Fireplaces And Stove supplied by the manufacturer, a lot of modern stoves can be converted to DEFRA compliant in minutes. This is because a Defra approved stove must undergo rigorous testing and must be restricted to the amount of smoke it can produce.
To ensure that these limitations are maintained during testing the stove must be able to limit its combustion air supply to ensure that it does not exhaust itself of oxygen, which may cause it to smolder. This is achieved by a mechanism inside the stove which opens a small amount of air into the firebox during combustion, which is often hidden inside the stove and underneath the base of the firebox.
Stove World UK offers a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the best brands in the country such as Stovax, Arada and Burley. These are available in a vast variety of styles and finishes. You can also select from a wide range of Ecodesign ready stoves that are specifically designed to meet future standards for air quality.
Smoke Control Areas are typically located in large towns and city centres and you can visit the official website of your local authority to determine if your area is classed as such. If you reside in a zone that is smoke-free, it is very important to purchase an DEFRA approved stove for your home, to avoid being fined by your local authority. This is because if you burn 'unauthorised fuel on a non-approved stove, such as coal or any other solid fuels and you are fined up to PS300.
Approved for Wood
A DEFRA approved wood stove, also known as a smoke exempt stove, is an appliance that can be utilized in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will be stamped with the Defra approved logo or an 'SE' in its name which means that it is able to be used in smoke controlled areas when burning approved fuels that is, in this instance, wood.
Many older wood stoves emit lots of particles into the air, which can cause or contribute to respiratory issues asthma attacks, heart problems and premature death. This is why it's important to purchase new wood stoves that is compliant with the strict emission standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Look for a "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which means that the stove meets the emission limits that are currently in place.
If you purchase an appliance that isn't EPA certified and you reside in a smoke control area it is necessary to have it recertified before you can use it. It's expensive and time-consuming, however the law requires it. In addition, homeowners who sell a home with an uncertified wood stove could be subject to clean air tax credits and fines.
With a kit, or an adjustment provided by the installer, a majority of modern stoves can be Defra approved. The primary difference between DEFRA approved stoves and ones that aren't is the combustion air control system that controls the quantity of air that goes through the stove operating normally. The modification will usually be located on the bottom of the firebox, or in the base.
Some manufacturers produce two versions of their wood stove, one that is Defra approved and the other that is not. This is because the process of running a stove through the strict Defra tests is expensive in order to recover some of the costs, they'll offer the non-approved version at a lower cost. The DEFRA approved version will have had the combustion air modification performed as part of the testing procedure.
Approved for Gas
Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes could burn any fuel they wanted, leading to large amounts of smoke emissions. This could cause health problems. To prevent this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas. This meant that residential homes could not emit any smoke except if their wood burners and multifuel stoves were Defra-approved for burning only authorised materials like manufactured smokeless coke and anthracite.
Defra approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been subjected to rigorous testing in order to prove that they can burn authorised fuels cleanly within a Smoke Control Area. The latest combustion technology delivers an indefinite amount of secondary air into the firebox. This lets the stove comply with Defra standards for Smoke Control Areas even when it is used with approved fuels like anthracite as well as manufactured smokeless coals.
If you're in the market for a brand new wood-burning stove and you live in an area that has a Smoke Control Area then we suggest that you take a look at the range of Defra approved stoves which can be found at The Stove Yard. We have a wide range of Defra-approved stoves. These include traditional, contemporary and inset models that are made by top manufacturers such as Stovax. Arada, Burley, and AGA.
The good thing is that there's not any noticeable difference in appearance between an Defra approved woodburning stove and one that isn't, however the Defra approved models do have a number of features which are designed to ensure that they burn cleaner. They usually have a slightly different grate and air vents and on gas models, they may have a larger flue outlet.
Another benefit of an Defra Approved stove is that they'll typically have five" (125mm) flue outlet. This means that you can choose a narrower stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner which is less expensive than the standard 6" (150mm) liner. We've used this when customers have an older or non-standard chimney stack that we are installing a Defra approved wood-burning stove in and it reduces the cost of relining the chimney with a bigger diameter liner.