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 legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled zone.

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

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a Smoke Control Area means you can't use a wood-burning stove but this isn't the case. In reality, most cities and large towns are within a smoke-free zone, but that doesn't mean you cannot 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 Defra approved stove is a specific type of wood burning stove that has been tested to ensure that it meets certain criteria in regards to the emissions that it produces when burning authorised fuels and consequently, it is able to be used legally in the Smoke Control Area.

The Defra logo is widely used in the industry and many of the stoves that are approved have SE after their name, meaning they are smoke-free. To be SE approved the stove must satisfy strict emission criteria. This means that you can be sure that you are buying the best wood stove available.

If you're looking for a wood-burning stove which is Defra-exempt or has SE after its name You will see that the manufacturer might have taken measures to make sure that there are enough air intakes on the front of the stove to allow for full combustion of fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is sufficient to avoid soot accumulation. This is important because it ensures that the smoke from the wood stove doesn't escape through the chimney into your home.

Another benefit of the Defra approved stove is that it usually permits you to use it with 5" chimney liner, which complies with the UK building regulations, whilst stoves that are not Defra approved will need to be fitted with a larger 6" liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a range of Defra-approved Fireplaces And Stove and stoves, as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed with future standards for air quality in mind. In fact, many of our Defra approved stoves are also able to be used with smoke control kits for those properties that are located in a Smoke Control Area and so can be used with a variety of smokeless fuels that are authorised, such as fire logs.

Approved for Smokeless Fuels

The only stove that can be put in in a smoke-control area is one that is a DEFRA approved wood burner, also referred to as DEFRA exempt. This stove should be used with a solid fuel, that is wood, preferably well-seasoned. The government tests them to ensure they don't produce excessive smoke and are only suitable for use with approved fuels.

The difference between a DEFRA-approved stove and one that is not approved is usually very small. Many modern stoves can easily be transformed into DEFRA compliant with the kit supplied by the manufacturer and then fitted in a matter of minutes. This is because the Defra approved stove has to undergo rigorous testing and has to be limited on how much smoke it can generate.

To ensure that the restrictions are kept the stove must be able limit its combustion air so that it doesn't deprive itself of oxygen, which could cause it to smolder. This is accomplished by the mechanism that allows a small amount air into the firebox when it is burning. It is typically hidden in the stove or under the base of the firebox.

Stove World UK has a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the top brands in the country such as Stovax Arada and Burley. These are available in a huge range of styles and finishes. You can also choose from an impressive selection of Ecodesign ready stoves that have been designed to meet future standards for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are usually situated around cities and 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. If you live in a smoke-free zone, it is crucial that you buy an DEFRA approved stove for your home, to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you burn 'unauthorised' fuel in an unapproved stove, such as coal or any other solid fuels, you could be fined up to PS300.

Approved for Wood

A DEFRA approved wood NRG 4.5KW Eco Design Stove Portable Fireplace, also called a smoke exempt stove, is an appliance that can be utilized in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will have the Defra approved symbol or 'SE' the title that means it is only permitted to be used in smoke-controlled areas where you can burn approved fuels. In this case wood is the fuel.

Many older wood stoves emit a lot of particulate matter into the air, which can cause or contribute to respiratory problems, asthma attacks, heart issues and premature death. It is therefore essential to choose a wood stove that meets strict emission standards as set 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 is not EPA-certified, and you reside in a smoke-free area you'll have to recertify it before you can use the stove. It can be expensive and time-consuming, however the law requires it. Homeowners who sell a home with wood stoves that are not certified may also be liable for tax credits or fines relating to the clean air.

Modern stoves can be modified to be Defra approved with an adjustment kit or kit provided by the installer. The primary difference between DEFRA approved stoves and Fireplaces And Stove those that aren't is the combustion air control system that regulates the amount of air that flows through the stove when it's operating normally. Modifications are typically made to the base or the side of the firebox that is underneath the stove.

Some manufacturers will produce two versions of their wood stove, one that is Defra approved and the other that is 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 will sell the non-approved version for a lower cost. The DEFRA approved version will have been able to have the modification to the combustion air performed as part of the testing procedure.

Gas Approved

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought into effect, residential homes could use any type of fuel they wanted which resulted in huge amounts of smoke emissions as well as health issues. To prevent 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 authorised fuels such as manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also known as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have undergone rigorous tests to prove that they can cleanly burn authorised fuels within a Smoke Control Area. They achieve this by utilising the most advanced combustion technology that constantly delivers a minimum level of secondary air to the firebox to ensure that even if the stove is operating with approved fuels like anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals it will still be able to comply with Defra's rules for Smoke Control Areas.

If you're in the market for a brand new wood-burning stove and live in an area that has a Smoke Control Area then we would recommend that you look at the wide selection of Defra approved stoves that can be found at The Stove Yard. We offer a wide collection of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from the most reputable manufacturers like Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good news is that there is no distinction in appearance between a stove that is Defra-approved and a non-approved model. However, the Defra-approved models do have a few features designed to make them burn more efficiently. They generally have a different grate as well as air vents. On gas stoves, they may also have an alternative size flue outlet.

A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have five" flue outlet (125mm). This means you can use a smaller stainless twin wall flexible liner that is less expensive than a 6" (150mm). We've seen this helpful when customers have an older or non-standard chimney that we are installing a Defra approved wood burning stove in to and it saves the cost of relining the chimney with a bigger diameter liner.