Why Defra Approved Stove List Is The Next Big Obsession

What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

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

They are independently tested to provide the lowest emissions possible. Stoves with this status are often branded with the 'Defra-approved logo on their name or the specifications.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people think that living in a Smoke Control Area means you can't have a stove that burns wood however this isn't true. In reality, most cities and towns are in a smoke-free zone, however this doesn't mean that you cannot use a stove, it just means that you must make use of an exempt device and only burn authorised fuels (usually brquettes) in your stove. The Defra approved stove is a kind of wood-burning stove that has been tested to ensure that it meets certain requirements in relation to the emissions it releases when burning authorised fuels, and therefore it can be legally used in the Smoke Control Area.

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

If you are looking for a stove that burns wood that is Defra exempt or is marked with SE after its name, you will often discover that the manufacturer has carried out things like making sure there enough air inlets on the front of the stove to allow full combustion of the fuel and energy Efficient stoves that the chimney outlet is large enough to stop the build-up of soot. This is crucial because it ensures that the smoke from the wood burning stove is not able to escape through the chimney into your home.

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

At Stovax we are proud to offer a selection of Defra approved stoves and fires, alongside our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been created with future air quality standards in mind. A large portion of our approved Energy Efficient Stoves can also be used conjunction with a smoke control system for properties located in Smoke Control Areas. They can be utilized to burn a variety of 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 you can install in a smoke control area if you plan to make use of it for solid fuel (wood or wood that is well-seasoned). The government tests them to ensure they don't emit excessive smoke and that they can be used only with 'authorized' fuels.

The difference between a DEFRA-approved kitchen and one that isn't approved is usually minimal. With a kit provided by the manufacturer, many modern stoves can be easily converted to DEFRA conforming in just a few just a few minutes. This is due to the fact that a Defra approved stove must undergo rigorous tests and is limited in the amount of smoke it is able to produce.

To ensure that these limitations remain in place during the testing process, the stove needs to be capable of limiting the amount of combustion air it gets so that it does not starve itself of oxygen, which may cause it to smoke. This is done through a mechanism within the stove which opens a small amount of air into the firebox during combustion, which is often hidden inside the stove, and under the base of the firebox.

Stove World UK offers a large selection of DEFRA approved stoves from the country's best manufacturers, including Stovax, Arada and Burley. These are available in a wide range of styles and finishes. You can also select from a vast variety of Ecodesign ready stoves that are specifically designed to meet future standards for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are usually located in large towns and city centres and you can visit the website of your local authority to determine if your area is classified as one. It is crucial to buy an approved DEFRA stove if you live in a smoke-controlled area. This will allow you to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you use 'unauthorised' fuel in a non-approved stove, for example coal or other solid fuels and you are fined up to 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 the Smoke Control Area. The stove will have the Defra approved symbol or the word 'SE' in front of its name meaning it can only be used in smoke-controlled areas when you burn approved fuels. In this case, wood.

The older wood stoves can release large amounts of particles into the air that can trigger or contribute to respiratory issues asthma attacks, heart problems and premature death. This is why it is essential to buy a new wood stove that is compliant with the strict emission standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Look for an "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which signifies that the stove has met the emission limits that are now in place.

If you purchase an appliance that isn't EPA certified and you reside in a smoke-free zone it is necessary to be able to get it certified before you can use it. This can be expensive and time-consuming, but it is required by law. In addition homeowners who sell a house that has a wood stove that is not certified could be subject to clean air tax credits as well as fines.

Modern stoves can be modified to be Defra approved by an adjustment kit or a kit that the installer offers. The primary difference between DEFRA approved stoves and ones that aren't is the combustion air control system, which regulates the quantity of air that goes through the stove when it's in normal operation. The modification will usually be placed on the underside of the firebox or within the base.

Some manufacturers will produce two versions of their wood stove one that is Defra approved and the other that is not. This is due to the process of running a stove through the stringent Defra tests is expensive, so to help recoup some of the costs, they'll offer the non-approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA approved version will have been subjected to the modification of combustion air included in the testing procedure.

Approved for Gas

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in homes for residential use, homeowners could burn any type of fuel they wanted, which resulted in huge amounts of smoke emissions as well as health issues. To combat this Defra created Smoke Control Areas which meant that residential homes could not emit any smoke from their wood burners or multifuel stoves unless the appliance was Defra certified to burn only approved fuels like manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been subjected to rigorous tests to demonstrate that they can safely burn approved fuels within a Smoke Control Area. They do this by using the most advanced combustion technology that continually delivers a minimum amount of secondary air to the firebox, so that even if the stove is used with fuels that are authorised, such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals, it can still comply with the regulations of Defra for Smoke Control Areas.

If you're looking for an all-new wood burning stove and energy efficient Stoves you live in Smoke Control Area then we suggest to look into the range of Defra approved stoves that are available at The Stove Yard. We have a broad selection of stoves that are Defra-approved, including traditional models, modern and inset that are made by top manufacturers such as Stovax. Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good news is that there isn't really a difference in appearance between a Defra approved woodburning stove and one which isn't, but the Defra approved models do come with various features that are designed to ensure they burn cleaner. They usually have an aesthetically different grate and air vents as well as on gas models they may have a smaller flue outlet.

A DEFRA compliant stoves list Approved Stove will almost always have five" flue outlet (125mm). This means that you can choose a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible liner that is cheaper than a 6" (150mm). We've used this when a customer has an older or non-standard chimney that we are installing a DEFRA approved multi-fuel stoves approved wood burning stove in to and it saves the cost of re-lining the chimney stack with a larger diameter liner.