What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you live in an area where smoking is controlled, it's 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 ensure the lowest emissions possible. Stoves with this status will often display the 'Defra-approved logo on their specifications or name.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people think that living in a Smoke Control Area means you can't have a wood burning stove and this is not true. In reality, a majority of cities and towns are in an area that is smoke-free, but that doesn't mean you can't have an oven, it simply means that you must use an exempt appliance and only burn fuels that are approved (usually Briquettes) in your stove. The Defra approved stove is a type of wood burning stove that has been tested to ensure it meets certain criteria 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 a lot of stoves are marked with the SE after their names to indicate they are smoke-free. To be SE approved the stove must meet strict emission criteria. This means that you can be confident you're buying the best wood stove that is available.

If you're looking for a wood-burning stove which is Defra-exempt, or has SE after its title You will see that the manufacturer might have taken steps to make sure that there are enough air intakes in the front of stove to allow full combustion of fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is adequate to prevent the accumulation of soot. This is important as it ensures that smoke from the wood 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 five" chimney liner, which is in compliance with the UK building regulations. However, non-Defra approved stoves will need to be fitted with a bigger 6" liner.

At Stovax we are pleased to offer a selection of Defra approved stoves and fires. We also have our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been created with future air quality standards in mind. In fact, many of our Defra approved stoves are 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 variety 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 you can install in a smoke control area in the event that you intend to use it to burn 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 fuels that are 'authorized.

The difference between a DEFRA approved stove and one that is not typically is very small. With a kit from the manufacturer, many modern stoves can be easily converted to DEFRA conforming in just a few only a few minutes. This is because Defra approved appliances must pass extremely stringent tests and have a limit on the amount of smoke they can produce.

To ensure that these limitations are not violated during testing, the stove needs to be able to limit the amount of combustion air it gets so that it does not deplete itself of oxygen, which may cause it to smoke. This is accomplished through a mechanism that opens the air in the firebox while it is burning. It is typically hidden in the stove or under the base of the fire box.

Stove World UK has a large selection of DEFRA approved stoves, made by some of the best manufacturers in the country, including Stovax Arada and Burley. These are available in a wide variety of styles and designs. Pick from a variety of Ecodesign stoves that are designed to meet the future demands for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are usually located around large cities and towns and you can check your local authority's website to see if your area is classified as one. If you live in a zone that is smoke-free, it is very important that you purchase an DEFRA approved stove for your home to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you burn 'unauthorised' fuel in a non-approved stove, for example coal or any other solid fuels that could result in fines of up to PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved wood stove, also called a smoke-free stove, is an appliance that can be used in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will bear the Defra approved logo or the word "SE" after its name, which means it can be used in smoke-controlled areas when burning approved fuels that is, in this instance, wood.

The older wood stoves produce large quantities of particulate matter. These can trigger or exacerbate asthma attacks, respiratory problems and heart issues. This is why it's crucial to purchase 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 indicates that the stove is in compliance with the emission limits that are currently in place.

If you purchase a cooktop that is not EPA-certified, and you reside in a smoke-free area, you'll need to get it recertified before you can use the stove. It is costly and time-consuming, but the law requires it. Homeowners who sell a house with a wood stove that is not certified may be subject to tax credits or fines relating to clean air.

The majority of modern stoves can be upgraded to be defra List stoves approved using an adjustment kit or kit that the installer offers. This is because the primary difference between the DEFRA approved stove and those that are not, is the combustion air management system which controls how much air passes through the stove in normal operation. Modifications are typically applied to the base or underside of a stove's firebox.

Certain manufacturers make two different versions of a wood stove, one that is Defra-approved while the other not. The reason behind this is that the cost of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra testing is high. To offset these costs, they sell the non-approved version for a lower price. The DEFRA approved version will have been able to have the modification to the combustion air included in the testing procedure.

Approved Gas

Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes were able to burn any fuel they wanted, leading to high levels of smoke emissions. This led to health issues. To combat this Defra created Smoke Control Areas which meant that homes in residential areas couldn't emit any smoke from their multifuel stoves or wood burners unless the appliance was Defra certified to burn only fuels that were authorised, such as manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been put through rigorous testing to prove they can safely burn approved fuels within a Smoke Control Zone. The latest technology for combustion delivers 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 using authorised fuels like anthracite and manufactured smokeless coals.

If you're in the market for a new wood burning stove and you live in a Smoke Control Area then we recommend that you take a look at the selection of DEFRA stoves near me approved stoves which are available at The Stove Yard. We offer a wide collection of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from industry-leading manufacturers like Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good part is that there's really a distinction in appearance between a Defra approved woodburning stove and one which isn't. However, the Defra approved models have several features that are designed to ensure they burn cleaner. They generally have a different design of grate as well as air vents. On gas stoves they may also feature a different sized flue outlet.

Another benefit of the Defra Approved stove is that they will almost always come with a 5" (125mm) flue outlet, which means you can use a narrower stainless steel twin wall chimney liner that is less expensive than the standard 6" (150mm) liner. We've used this when a customer has an older or non-standard chimney that we are installing a Defra approved wood burning stove into and it saves the cost of re-lining the chimney stack with a bigger diameter liner.