The Best Defra Approved Stove List Tips To Make A Difference In Your Life
What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?
If you reside in a zone of smoke control it is essential to buy a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt (or SE) stove allows you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.
The stoves are independently tested for the lowest emissions possible. Stoves with this certification typically carry the word 'Defra approved' in their names or specifications.
Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas
Many people believe that living in a smoke controlled zone means that they aren't able to make use of a fireplace that burns wood. This is not true. Most cities and large towns are in the smoke control zone, but that doesn't mean they can't use a wood burning stove. It's just that they need to burn authorised fuels in their stove (usually briquettes). order DEFRA stoves online that is Defra-approved is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to ensure that it meets certain standards in terms of the emissions it generates when burning authorised materials. This means it can be used legally in smoke-control zones.
The Defra logo is widely used by the industry and a large number of the stoves approved have SE after their names, meaning they are smoke-free. In order for a stove to be SE approved it must meet strict criteria with regards to its emissions So you can be sure that when you purchase an exempt defra stove, you will receive the cleanest and most efficient wood stove on the market.
When you look for a wood burning stove that is Defra exempt or is marked with SE after its name, you will often discover that the manufacturer has done things like making sure there enough air inlets on the front of the stove to permit full combustion of the fuel and that the chimney outlet is large enough to prevent soot build-up. This is important because it ensures that the smoke from the wood stove is not able to escape through the chimney and into your home.
Another benefit of a Defra approved stove is that it generally allows you to fit it with a 5" chimney liner, which complies with UK building regulations, whereas stoves that are not Defra approved will need to be fitted with a bigger 6" liner.
At Stovax we are delighted to offer a selection of Defra approved stoves and fires. We also have our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been developed with the future standards of air quality in mind. In fact, a lot of our Defra approved stoves are also suitable for use with a smoke control kit for properties 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 type of stove you can install in a smoke-control area when you plan to use it to burn solid fuel (wood, preferably well seasoned). They are tested by the government to ensure that they don't generate excessive levels of smoke. They can be used with 'authorised' fuels (coal only).
The difference between the differences between a DEFRA approved stove and one that isn't typically is very small. With a kit provided by the manufacturer, many contemporary stoves can be made DEFRA conforming in just a few just a few minutes. This is because a Defra approved stove must undergo rigorous tests and has to be limited to the amount of smoke it can generate.
To ensure that the restrictions are not violated the stove must be able to limit the amount of combustion air so that it doesn't starve itself of oxygen which can cause it smoulder. This is accomplished through the mechanism that allows a small amount air into the firebox while it is burning. It is usually concealed inside the stove or underneath the base of its fire box.
Stove World UK offers a vast selection of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the best brands in the country including Stovax, Arada and Burley. They are available in a huge variety of styles and finishes. You can also pick from a wide selection of Ecodesign ready stoves that are designed to meet future standards for air quality.
Smoke Control Areas are primarily located around large cities and towns and you can look up your local authority's website to see if your area is classed as such. If you reside in a zone that is smoke-free, it is essential that you purchase an DEFRA approved stove for your home, to avoid being fined by your local authority. This is because if you burn unauthorised' fuel in an unapproved stove, like coal or any other solid fuels, you could be fined up to PS300.
Approved for Wood
A DEFRA approved stove, also referred to as a smoke-free wood stove is an appliance which can be used to burn wood in a Smoke Control Area. The stove will bear the Defra approved logo or have an 'SE' in its name which means that it is able to be used in smoke-controlled areas that burn approved fuels which is in this case wood.
A lot of older wood stoves emit huge amounts of particulate matter. These can trigger or exacerbate asthma attacks, respiratory issues and heart issues. It is therefore important to choose a wood stove that is in compliance with strict emission standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for an "EPA 2020 Certified" label, which signifies that the stove is in compliance with the emission limits that are now in place.
If you purchase an appliance that isn't EPA certified and you live in a smoke control area it is necessary to get it recertified before you can use it. This can be expensive and time-consuming, however it is required by law. Homeowners who sell a home with a wood stove that is not certified may be liable for tax credits or fines related to pollution-free air.
With a kit, or an adjustment made by the installer, most modern stoves can be made Defra-approved. The major difference between DEFRA approved stoves and ones that aren't is the combustion air control system that controls the amount of air that passes through the stove when it's operating normally. Modifications are usually applied to the base or underside of the firebox.
Some manufacturers produce two different versions of a wood stove: one that is Defra-approved and the other not. This is due to the process of putting a stove through the strict Defra tests is very expensive and to offset some of the costs, they'll offer the non-approved version at a cheaper cost. The DEFRA approved version will have been subjected to the modification of combustion air included in the testing process.
Gas Approved
Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in homes for residential use, homeowners could burn any kind of fuel they liked which resulted in large amounts of smoke emissions and health problems. To stop this, Defra created Smoke Control Areas which meant that residential homes couldn't produce 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 approved SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been put through rigorous tests to prove they can efficiently burn fuels that are approved within a Smoke Control Area. They accomplish this by using the most advanced combustion technology that continuously delivers a minimum amount of secondary air to the combustion chamber, so that even when the stove is operating with authorised fuels 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 to purchase a new wood burning stove and live in a Smoke Control Area then we recommend to look into the range of Defra approved stoves that can be found here at The Stove Yard. We have a wide range of Defra-approved stoves, including traditional models, modern and inset, from leading manufacturers like Stovax. Arada, Burley, and AGA.
The good news is there is no distinction in appearance between a stove that is Defra-approved and a stove that is not approved. However the models that are Defra-approved have a few features that are designed to help them burn cleaner. They generally have a different grate 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 a Defra Approved stove is that they'll almost always have five" (125mm) flue outlet. This means that you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible chimney liner, which is cheaper than a standard 6" (150mm) liner. We've found this useful when the customer has an older or non-standard chimney that we are installing the Defra approved wood burning stove in to and it saves the cost of re-lining the chimney stack with a bigger diameter liner.