What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?
If you live in an area where smoke is controlled, it's essential to purchase a DEFRA-exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt stove (or SE) allows you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.
They are independently tested to provide the lowest emissions possible. Stoves with this certification 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 zone means that they aren't able to make use of a fireplace that burns wood. Read the Full Article is not true. The majority of towns and cities are within a smoke control zone, however, that doesn't mean that you can't use a wooden burning stove. It's simply that they have to burn approved fuels in their stove (usually Briquettes). The stove that is Defra-approved is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to make sure that it meets certain criteria in terms of the emissions it generates when burning authorised materials. It is therefore able to be legally used in areas of smoke control.
The Defra logo is widely used in the industry, and a lot of the stoves that are approved have SE after their name, meaning they are smoke exempt. To be SE approved the stove must satisfy strict emission standards. This means that you can be sure that you're buying the best wood stove on the market.
If you search for a stove that burns wood that is Defra exempt or has SE after its name, you will often find that the manufacturer has done things like making sure there are enough air intakes on the front of the stove to permit full combustion of the fuel, and that the chimney outlet size is sufficient to prevent the build-up of soot. This is crucial because it ensures that the smoke from the wood stove does not escape through the chimney and into your home.
A Defra-approved stove allows you to install a 5" liner that is in compliance with UK building regulations. Non-Defra-approved stoves require a 6" liner.
Stovax is proud to offer a selection of fireplaces and stoves that are Defra-approved as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed with future air quality standards at heart. In fact, a lot of our Defra approved stoves are able to be used with a smoke control kit for properties located in a Smoke Control Area and so can be used with a variety of authorised smokeless fuels including fire logs.
Approved for Smokeless Fuels
The only stove that can be installed in a smoke-control area is one that is a DEFRA approved wood burner, also referred to by the designation DEFRA exempt. This stove should be used with a solid fuel, which means wood, preferably well-seasoned. They are inspected by the government to ensure that they don't produce excessive levels of smoke and are able to be used with 'authorized' fuels (coal only).
The difference between a DEFRA approved stove and one that isn't can be very minimal. Many modern stoves can easily be transformed into DEFRA certified by the kit supplied by the manufacturer and installed within a matter of minutes. This is due to the fact that Defra approved appliances must pass very strict tests and are limited in the amount of smoke they are able to produce.
To ensure that these limitations are maintained during testing the stove needs to be able to limit the amount of combustion air it gets to ensure that it doesn't exhaust itself of oxygen, which could cause it to smolder. This is achieved by a mechanism in the stove which opens the air into the firebox during combustion which is usually hidden within the stove and beneath the base of the firebox.
Stove World UK offers a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the country's best manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada and Burley. They are available in an enormous range of styles and finishes. Pick from a variety of Ecodesign stoves that are designed to meet the upcoming requirements for air quality.
Smoke Control Zones are mainly in large cities and towns. You can check the website of your local authority to determine whether you are in one of these. If you live in a smoke-free zone, it is crucial that you buy a DEFRA approved stove for your home, to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you use 'unauthorised fuel on a non-approved stove, for example coal or any other solid fuels, you could be fined up to PS300.
Approved for wood
A DEFRA approved wood stove also called a smoke-free stove, is a device that can be used in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will bear the Defra approved logo or bear 'SE' after its name meaning it can be used in smoke controlled areas that burn approved fuels, in this case wood.
A lot of older wood stoves release large amounts of particulate matter into the atmosphere that can trigger or contribute to respiratory issues, asthma attacks, heart issues and premature death. Therefore, it is essential to buy a wood stove that meets strict emission standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which indicates that the wood stove meets the emission limits that are currently in place.
If you purchase a cooktop that isn't EPA-certified and you reside in a smoke-free area, you'll need to renew the certification before you can use the stove. It can be costly and time-consuming, however it is legally required. Homeowners who decide to sell a property with wood stoves that are not certified could be subject to tax credits or fines related to the clean air.
Modern stoves can be altered to be Defra approved by an adjustment kit or a kit that the installer offers. The primary difference between DEFRA approved stoves and those that aren't is the combustion air control system that regulates the quantity of air that goes through the stove when it's operating normally. The change is usually located on the bottom of the firebox or in the base.
Some manufacturers will produce two versions of their wood stoves, one that is Defra approved and the other that is not. The reason for this is that the cost of putting a wood stove through the rigorous Defra testing is expensive. To reduce the costs, they sell the non approved version for a lower price. The DEFRA approved version will have had the combustion air modification included in the testing process.
Approved for Gas
Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes could use any fuel they wanted, leading to large amounts of smoke emissions. This led to health issues. To prevent this Defra established 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 approved for burning only fuels that were authorised, such as manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.
Defra approved stoves, also referred to as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have gone through stringent testing to prove that they are able to burn cleanly authorised fuels within a Smoke Control Area. They do this by using the latest technology for combustion that continuously delivers a minimum amount of secondary air to the firebox to ensure that even if the stove is being used with authorised fuels such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals, it will still be able to meet Defra's regulations for Smoke Control Areas.
The Stove Yard has a large selection of Defra-approved stoves that are perfect for those who reside in a smoke control area and need a new wood burning fireplace. We have a broad range of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from industry-leading manufacturers like Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.
The good thing is that there's not much of a distinction in appearance between a Defra approved woodburning stove and one which isn't, however the Defra approved models do have a number of features which are designed to ensure they burn cleaner. Generally they will have a different grate design and air vents, and on the gas models they might also have an outlet for the flue that is different in size.
Another benefit of the Defra Approved stove is that they'll almost always have five" (125mm) flue outlet which 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 found this useful when the customer has an older or non-standard chimney stack that we are installing the Defra approved wood burning stove into and also saves the expense of relining the chimney with a wider diameter liner.