What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in a smoke-free zone then it is crucial to buy 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 for the lowest emissions possible. Stoves with this certification typically have the 'DEFRA stoves ratings approved' logo in their name or specification.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a Smoke Control Area means you can't have a stove that burns wood and this is not true. In reality, many cities and large towns are in an area that is smoke-free, however this doesn't mean that you can't have stoves, it just means that you must make use of an exempt appliance and only use authorised fuels (usually briquettes) in your stove. The stove that is Defra-approved is a wood-burning stove that has been rigorously tested to ensure that it meets certain criteria regarding the emissions it produces when burning approved materials. This means it can be legally used in a smoke control area.

The Defra logo is widely used by the industry and a large number of the stoves that are approved have SE after their name which means they are smoke exempt. To be SE approved, a stove must meet strict emission standards. This means you can be confident you're buying the best wood stove that is available.

If you are searching for a wood-burning stove which is Defra-exempt or has SE after its title, you will find that the manufacturer may have done things like make sure that there are enough air intakes on the front of stove to allow full combustion of fuel and that the size of the chimney outlet is sufficient to prevent the accumulation of soot. This is important because it ensures that smoke from the wood burning stove does not escape through the chimney into your home.

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

Stovax is proud to offer a selection of Defra-approved fireplaces and stoves 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 capable of being used with smoke control kits for those properties that are in a Smoke Control Area and can therefore be used with a range of smokeless fuels that are authorised, such as 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 in the event that you intend to make use of it for solid fuel (wood, preferably well seasoned). They are tested by the government to ensure that they don't create excessive levels of smoke and can be used with 'authorised fuels (coal only).

The difference between a DEFRA approved stove and one that is not typically is very small. With a kit provided by the manufacturer, many modern stoves can be made DEFRA compliant in minutes. This is due to the fact that Defra approved appliances must pass extremely stringent tests and are restricted in the amount of smoke they can produce.

To ensure that the restrictions are not violated the stove must be able to limit its combustion air so that it doesn't starve itself of oxygen, which could cause it to smolder. This is done by a mechanism inside the stove that opens a small amount of air into the firebox during the process of combustion, which is often hidden inside the stove and underneath the base of the firebox.

Stove World UK has a large selection of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the top brands in the country, including Stovax Arada and Burley. These are available in a wide range of styles and finishes. Select from a broad selection of Ecodesign stoves that are designed to meet the future needs for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are usually located in cities and DEFRA Approved British stoves towns with large populations and you can look up the official website of your local authority to see if your area is classified as one. It is crucial to buy a DEFRA-approved stove if you live in a smoke-controlled area. This will help you avoid being fined by the local authority. If you use 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 called a smoke exempt wood stove is a device that can be used to burn wood in a Smoke Control Area. The stove will have the Defra approved symbol or the word 'SE' in the front of its name, which means it is only permitted to be used in smoke-controlled areas if you burn approved fuels. In this case wood.

A lot of older wood stoves emit huge amounts of particulate matter. These can cause or worsen asthma attacks, respiratory issues and heart issues. Therefore, it is essential to purchase a stove that meets strict emission standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. You should look for the "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which means that the stove has met the emission limits currently in place.

If you buy a stove that is not EPA-certified, and you reside in a smoking zone it is necessary to recertify it before you can use the stove. This can be expensive and time consuming, but it is required by law. In addition homeowners who sell a home that has a wood stove that is not certified may be liable for clean air tax credits and fines.

Most modern stoves can be modified to be Defra approved with an adjustment kit or a kit that the installer offers. The main difference between DEFRA approved stoves and those that aren't combustion air control system that regulates the quantity of air that goes through the stove when it's operating normally. The modifications are usually made on the underside of the firebox or in the base.

Certain manufacturers make two types of wood stove: one that is DEFRA Approved British Stoves-approved while the other not. The reason behind this is that the cost of putting a wood stove through the rigorous Defra testing is expensive. To reduce these costs, they sell the non-approved version at a lower cost. The DEFRA-approved version has undergone the combustion air modification as part of the test procedure.

Gas Approved

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought into effect, residential homes could use any kind of fuel they wanted, which led to large quantities of smoke emissions and health issues. To combat 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 to burn only approved fuels like manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also referred to as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have undergone rigorous testing to demonstrate that they are able to burn cleanly authorised fuels within a Smoke Control Zone. The most modern combustion technology allows an indefinite amount of secondary air into the firebox. This lets the stove comply with Defra regulations for Smoke Control Areas even when it is used with approved fuels like anthracite and manufactured smokeless coals.

If you're looking for a new wood burning stove and are in Smoke Control Area then we suggest that you look at the selection of Defra approved stoves which are available at The Stove Yard. We have an extensive 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 visual difference between a stove that is Defra-approved and a non-approved model. However the stoves that are approved by Defra include a few features that are designed to make them burn more efficiently. They will usually have an unintentionally different grate as well as air vents, and on gas versions they might have a slightly larger flue outlet.

A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have 5" flue outlet (125mm). This means you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible liner that is less expensive than a 6" (150mm). This is a great option when you install an approved wood burning stove from Defra into an old or non-standard chimney stack. It saves money on the cost of relining a chimney with a larger diameter liner.