What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you live in an area where smoking is controlled, it's crucial to purchase a DEFRA-exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt stove (or SE) permits you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.

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

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a Smoke Control Area means you can't use a wood-burning stove however this isn't true. In reality, many cities and large towns are located in a smoke controlled zone but this doesn't mean you can't have an oven, it simply implies that you have to use an exempt appliance and only use authorised fuels (usually Briquettes) in your stove. The Defra approved stove is a type of wood-burning stove that has been inspected to ensure it meets certain criteria in relation to the emissions it releases when burning authorised fuels, and therefore, it can be used legally in the Smoke Control Area.

The Defra logo is widely used by the industry and a large number of the stoves approved bear SE after their name which means they are smoke-free. In order for a stove to be SE approved, it must satisfy strict criteria with regards to its emissions, so you can be certain that if you select an exempt defra stove, you will get the most clean and best burning wood stove on the market.

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

Another benefit of an Defra approved stove is that it usually allows you to fit it with a 5" chimney liner, which complies with UK building regulations. However, non-Defra approved stoves will need to be fitted with a bigger 6" liner.

Stovax is proud to offer a range of DEFRA approved eco design stoves-approved stoves and fireplaces as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed keeping future standards for air quality in mind. In fact, a lot of our Defra approved stoves are also capable of being used with smoke control kits for those properties that are located in a Smoke Control Area and can therefore be used with a variety of approved 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 kind of stove that you can put in a smoke control zone in the event that you intend to use it for solid fuel (wood, preferably well seasoned). They are inspected by the government to ensure that they don't generate excessive levels of smoke and can be used with approved fuels (coal only).

The difference between a DEFRA-approved stove and one that is not approved is usually quite small. With a kit from the manufacturer, many contemporary stoves can be converted to Affordable Defra Stoves compliant in only a few minutes. This is because Defra approved appliances must pass extremely rigorous tests and are restricted in the amount of smoke they are able to produce.

To ensure that these restrictions are not violated during testing, the stove needs to be able to limit the amount of combustion air it gets to ensure that it doesn't starve itself of oxygen, which can cause it to smoke. This is accomplished by a mechanism inside the stove that opens a small amount of air into the firebox during combustion which is often hidden inside the stove, and under the base of the fire box.

Stove World UK has a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves, made by some of the top manufacturers in the country, including Stovax Arada and Burley. They are available in an enormous range of styles and finishes. You can also choose from a wide variety of Ecodesign ready stoves that are designed to meet the future requirements for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are usually located in cities and towns with large populations and you can check the website of your local authority to see if your area is classified as one. If you reside in a zone that is smoke-free, it is very important to purchase a DEFRA approved stove for your home to avoid being fined by your local authority. If you use coal or other solid fuels in a non approved stove, you may be fined up PS300.

Approved for wood

A DEFRA approved wood stove, also called a smoke exempt 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 an 'SE' in its name which means that it can be used in smoke controlled areas that burn approved fuels which is in this case wood.

Many older wood stoves emit a lot of particulate matter into the air which can trigger or contribute to respiratory problems asthma attacks, heart issues and premature death. Therefore, it is essential to choose a wood stove that is compliant with the 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 isn't EPA-certified and you reside in a smoke-free area it is necessary to renew the certification before you can use the stove. It is costly and time-consuming, but the law requires it. Additionally, homeowners who sell a home with a wood stove that isn't certified could be subject to clean air tax credits and fines.

The majority of modern stoves can be altered to become Defra approved by an adjustment kit or kit that the installer offers. This is because the primary difference between a DEFRA approved stove and those which aren't, is the combustion air management system which controls how much air passes through the stove during normal operation. The modification will usually be made on the underside of the firebox or within the base.

There are some manufacturers who produce two versions of a wood stove, one that is DEFRA compliant stoves list-approved, and the other is not. The reason is that the cost of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra testing is costly. To reduce these costs, they sell the non-approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA approved version will have been able to have the modification to the combustion air included in the testing process.

Approved for Gas

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in residential homes could burn any type of fuel they liked which resulted in large amounts of smoke emissions and health issues. To stop this, Defra established 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 certified to burn only authorised fuels such as manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.

DEFRA certified stoves approved stoves, also known as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have undergone rigorous testing to demonstrate that they can cleanly burn authorised fuels within a Smoke Control Area. The latest technology for combustion delivers an unabated minimum of secondary air into the firebox. This allows the stove to meet Defra standards for Smoke Control Areas even when it is used with authorised fuels such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals.

If you're looking for an all-new wood burning stove and live in Smoke Control Area then we recommend that you look at the wide selection of DEFRA approved efficient stoves approved stoves that can be found here at The Stove Yard. We have a wide range of Defra-approved stoves. These include traditional modern, contemporary and inset models that are made by top manufacturers such as Stovax. Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good thing is that there is no visual difference between a stove approved by DEFRA endorsed stoves and one that isn't. However, the Defra-approved models do have a few features that are designed to make them burn cleaner. In general, they have a different grate and air vents and on the gas versions, they may also have an outlet for the flue that is different in size.

A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have five" flue outlet (125mm). This means you can choose a smaller stainless twin wall flexible liner that is less expensive than a 6" (150mm). This is a great option when you install wood-burning stoves that are Defra-approved in an older or non-standard chimney stack. It saves money on replacing a bigger diameter chimney liner.