7 Things You've Never Learned About Defra Approved Stove List

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) permits you to legally burn wood in a smoke controlled area.

The stoves are independently tested for the lowest emission possible. Stoves that are certified as such typically carry the 'Defra approved' logo in their names or specifications.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke-free area means they can't use a wood burning fireplace. This is not true. In reality, a majority of cities and large towns are 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 device and only burn fuels that are approved (usually briquettes) in your stove. The stove that is Defra-approved is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to ensure that it meets certain standards in terms of the emissions it generates when burning authorised materials. This means it can be legally used in smoke-control zones.

The Defra logo is widely used in the industry and many of the stoves approved bear SE after their names which means they are smoke exempt. To be SE approved, a stove must meet strict emission standards. This means that you can rest assured that you are 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 notice that the manufacturer has taken steps to ensure that there are sufficient air intakes in the front of stove to allow full combustion of the 5kw multi fuel stoves defra approved, and that the size of the chimney outlet is adequate to prevent the accumulation of soot. This is crucial as it ensures that the smoke from the stove does not escape through the chimney and into your home.

A stove that is Defra-approved permits you to use a 5" liner that is in compliance with UK building regulations. Non-Defra-approved stoves require an 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 created with the future of air quality standards in mind. Many of our stoves that are Defra-approved are also able to be used in combination with a smoke control system for properties that are located in Smoke Control Areas. They can be utilized to burn a variety of non-smokeless fuels, such as fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

A DEFRA approved wood burning stove, also known as a DEFRA exempt stove is the only kind of stove that you can put in a smoke control area in the event that you intend to use it for solid fuel (wood, preferably well seasoned). They are tested by the government to ensure that they don't generate excessive levels of smoke and can be used with 'authorised' fuels (coal only).

The distinction between a stove that is DEFRA approved and one that isn't approved is usually minimal. With a kit supplied by the manufacturer, many modern stoves can be easily converted to DEFRA compliant in minutes. This is because the Defra approved stove must undergo rigorous testing and must be restricted to the amount of smoke it is able to produce.

To ensure that these restrictions remain in place during the testing process, the stove will have to be able to limit the amount of combustion air it gets so that it does not deplete itself of oxygen, which could cause it to smoulder. This is accomplished by a mechanism in the stove that allows the air into the firebox during combustion, which is usually hidden within the stove and underneath the base of the fire box.

Stove World UK offers a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves from the country's best manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada and Burley. These are available in a wide variety of styles and designs. Select from a broad selection of Ecodesign stoves that are designed to meet the future requirements for air quality.

Smoke Control Zones are mostly in towns and cities with large populations. You can check the website of your local authority to determine whether you reside in one. If you reside in a smoke-free zone, it is very important to purchase a DEFRA approved stove for your home, to avoid being fined by the local authority. If you burn coal or other solid fuels in a stove that is not approved stove, you may be fined PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved wood stove, also called a smoke exempt stove, is a device that can be utilized in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will bear the Defra approved logo or bear an 'SE' in 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 huge amounts of particulate matter, which can cause or worsen respiratory problems, asthma attacks and heart problems. It is therefore essential to purchase a stove that is in compliance with strict emission standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for an "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which signifies that the stove is in compliance with the emissions limits that are currently in place.

If you purchase a stove which is not EPA-certified and you reside in a smoke-free area it is necessary to get it recertified before you can use the stove. This can be expensive and time-consuming, but it is legally required. In addition, homeowners who sell a house with an uncertified wood stove may be liable for clean air tax credits as well as fines.

Most modern stoves can be altered to become DEFRA registered stoves approved using an adjustment kit or kit provided by the installer. This is because the primary difference between the DEFRA approved stove and one that are not, is the combustion air management system which regulates how much air flows through the stove during normal operation. The modifications are usually made on the underside of the firebox or in the base.

There are some manufacturers who produce two versions of a wood stove: one that is Defra-approved, and the other is not. This is due to the process of placing a stove through stringent Defra tests can be very costly, so to help recoup some of this expense they'll sell the non-approved version at a cheaper price. The DEFRA-approved version has been through the modification to the combustion air as part of the testing procedure.

Approved Gas

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

Defra approved stoves, also referred to as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have been subjected to rigorous testing to demonstrate that they can cleanly burn authorised fuels within a Smoke Control Area. The most modern combustion technology allows an unabated minimum of secondary air into the firebox. This allows the stove to meet 5kw Defra multifuel stove regulations for Smoke Control Areas even when it is used with approved fuels like anthracite and manufactured smokeless coals.

The Stove Yard has a wide range of Defra-approved stoves that are perfect for those who reside in a smoke control zone and require a brand new wood burning fireplace. We offer a wide selection of contemporary, traditional and inset DEFRA stoves near me approved stoves from the most reputable manufacturers like Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good news is that there is no visual difference between a stove approved by Defra and a stove that is not approved. However the models that are Defra-approved come with a few extra features designed to ensure they burn cleaner. They will usually have a slightly different grate and air vents, and on gas versions they might have a slightly smaller flue outlet.

Another benefit of a Defra Approved stove is that they'll typically have five" (125mm) flue outlet, which means you can use a narrower stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner, which is cheaper than the standard 6" (150mm) liner. We've seen this helpful when customers have an older or non-standard chimney stack that we are installing the Defra approved wood burning stove in to and it saves the cost of relining the chimney with a bigger diameter liner.