What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?
If you live in a zone of smoke control then you must buy a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt (or SE) stove permits you to burn wood legally in a smoke-controlled area.
The stoves are independently tested to ensure the lowest emission possible. Stoves with this status typically carry the logo 'Defra-approved' in their names or specifications.
Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas
Many people believe that living in a smoke controlled area means they can't make use of a fireplace that burns wood. It's not the case. The majority of towns and cities fall under a smoke control zone however that doesn't mean they aren't able to use a wood burning stove. It just means they must burn authorised fuels in their stove (usually brquettes). The Defra-approved stove is a wood-burning stove that has been rigorously tested to ensure that it meets certain criteria in regards to the emissions it emits when burning authorised fuels. DEFRA stoves ratings and reviews can therefore be legally used in areas of smoke control.
The Defra Logo is widely used in the industry, and a lot of stoves have the SE after their names to indicate that they are smoke-free. To be SE approved the stove must meet strict emission requirements. This means that you can rest assured that you are purchasing the top wood stove that is available.
If you are looking for a wood-burning stove which is Defra-exempt or has SE after its title, you will find that the manufacturer might have taken measures to ensure that there are sufficient air intakes on the front of stove to allow full combustion of fuel and that the size of the chimney outlet is sufficient to prevent the accumulation of soot. This is important as it helps to ensure that the smoke from the stove doesn't escape through the chimney and enter your home.
Another benefit of the Defra approved stove is that it typically permits you to use it with five" chimney liner, which is in compliance with UK building regulations. However, stoves that are not Defra approved will need to be fitted with a larger 6" liner.
At Stovax we are delighted to offer a range of Defra approved stoves and fires, as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been created with the future standards of air quality in mind. In fact, many of our Defra approved stoves are also able to be used with smoke control kits for properties in a Smoke Control Area and therefore can be used with a variety of approved smokeless fuels, including fire logs.
Approved for Smokeless Fuels
A DEFRA approved wood burning stove, also known as a DEFRA exempt stove is the only type of stove you can install in a smoke control area if you plan to use it to burn solid fuel (wood and preferably well-seasoned). They are inspected by the government to ensure that they don't create excessive levels of smoke and can be used with approved fuels (coal only).
The difference between a DEFRA-approved kitchen and one that is not approved is usually very small. Many modern stoves can easily be converted to DEFRA compliant with an approved kit supplied by the manufacturer and installed in a matter of minutes. This is due to the fact that a Defra approved stove must undergo rigorous testing and is limited in the amount of smoke it is able to produce.
To ensure that the restrictions are kept the stove must be able to limit its combustion air to ensure that it doesn't starve itself of oxygen and cause it to smolder. This is accomplished by a mechanism inside the stove that allows the air into the firebox during combustion, which is often hidden inside the stove and underneath the base of the fire box.
Stove World UK offers a vast selection of DEFRA approved stoves from the best brands in the country, including Stovax, Arada and Burley. They are available in a huge variety of styles and finishes. Pick from a variety of Ecodesign stoves, which are designed to meet the upcoming requirements for air quality.
Smoke Control Zones are mainly in towns and cities with large populations. You can check the website of your local authority to determine whether you reside in one of these. If you live in a zone that is smoke-free, it is very important that you buy a DEFRA approved stove for your property, 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 other solid fuels that could result in fines of up to PS300.
Approved for wood
A DEFRA approved wood stove also known as a smoke exempt stove, is a device that can be used in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will be stamped with the Defra approved logo or bear an 'SE' in its name which means that it can be used in smoke controlled areas when burning approved fuels that is, in this instance, wood.
Many older wood stoves emit huge amounts of particulate matter, which can cause or worsen respiratory problems, asthma attacks and heart problems. It is therefore essential to choose a wood stove that is in compliance with strict emission standards as set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for a "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which signifies that the stove meets the emission limits that are now in place.
If you purchase an appliance that isn't EPA certified and you live in a zone of smoke control, you will need 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. Additionally homeowners who sell a home that has a wood stove that is not certified could be subject to clean air tax credits and fines.
Most modern stoves can be modified to be Defra approved using an adjustment kit or kit that the installer offers. This is because the main difference between a DEFRA approved stove and one that are not, is the combustion air management system that regulates how much air flows through the stove in normal operation. Modifications are usually applied to the base or the underside of a stove's firebox.
There are some manufacturers who produce two different versions of a wood stove, one that is Defra-approved, and the other that isn't. This is because the process of putting a stove through the rigorous Defra tests is very expensive, so to help recoup some of the cost, they'll sell the non-approved model at a lower cost. The DEFRA approved version will have been subjected to the modification of combustion air done as part of the testing process.
Approved for Gas
Before the Clean Air Acts were brought into effect, residential homes could use any kind of fuel they wanted, which led to large quantities of smoke emissions and health problems. To prevent 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 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 been subjected to stringent testing to prove that they are able to burn cleanly authorised fuels within a Smoke Control Zone. They accomplish this by using the latest combustion technology which continuously delivers a minimum amount of secondary air to the firebox, to ensure that even if the stove is operating with fuels that are authorised, such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals it will still be able to meet Defra's regulations for Smoke Control Areas.
If you're looking for a brand new wood-burning stove and you live in Smoke Control Area then we would recommend that you look at the selection of Defra approved stoves that can be found here at The Stove Yard. We offer a wide range of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from the most reputable manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.
The good news is there is no visual difference 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 typically have an unintentionally different grate as well as air vents and on gas models, they might have a slightly different size flue outlet.
A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have a 5" flue outlet (125mm). This means that you can choose a smaller stainless twin wall flexible liner, which is less expensive than a 6" (150mm). We've found this useful when customers have an older or non-standard chimney that we are installing the Defra approved wood burning stove into and it saves the cost of relining the chimney with a larger diameter liner.