The Reasons Defra Approved Stove List Is Fast Becoming The Hot Trend Of 2023
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 stove (or SE) permits 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 have the logo 'Defra-approved' in their name or on their specifications.
Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas
Many people think that living in a Smoke Control Area means you can't have a stove that burns wood however this isn't true. Many 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 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 is in compliance with certain requirements in regards to the emissions it emits when burning authorised materials. It is therefore able to be legally used in smoke-control zones.
The Defra Logo is widely used in the industry, and many stoves have the SE after their names to signify that they are smoke-free. To be SE approved the stove must satisfy strict emission requirements. This means you can rest assured that you're buying the best wood stove available.
If you're looking for a wood-burning stove that is Defra-exempt or that has SE after its title You will see that the manufacturer has taken steps to ensure that there are sufficient air intakes on the front of the stove to allow for full combustion of the fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is adequate to prevent the accumulation of soot. This is important as it ensures that smoke from the wood burning stove doesn't escape through the chimney into your home.
Another benefit of an Defra approved stove is that it usually allows you to fit it with 5" chimney liner, which will comply with UK building regulations, whereas stoves that aren't Defra-approved will have to be fitted with a bigger 6" liner.
Stovax is proud to offer a range of Defra-approved stoves and fireplaces as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves which have been designed with future standards for air quality in mind. In fact, a lot 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 can therefore be used with a range of smokeless fuels that are authorised, such as 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 that you can put in a smoke-control area if you plan to make use of it for solid fuel (wood and 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 a DEFRA-approved kitchen and one that is not approved is usually very small. With a kit from the manufacturer, many contemporary stoves can be easily made DEFRA conforming in just a few just a few minutes. This is because the Defra approved stove must undergo very rigorous tests and has to be limited to the amount of smoke it is able to produce.
To ensure that these limitations are maintained during testing the stove must be able to limit the combustion air supply to ensure that it does not exhaust itself of oxygen, which can cause it to smoke. This is accomplished by a mechanism in the stove that opens the air into the firebox during combustion, which is often hidden inside the stove and underneath the base of the firebox.
Stove World UK offers a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the country's best manufacturers, including Stovax, Arada and Burley. These are available in a wide variety of styles and finishes. You can also select from a wide selection of Ecodesign ready stoves that have been designed to meet the future air quality requirements.
Smoke Control Areas are typically located around large cities and towns and you can look up the official website of your local authority to determine if your area is classified as one. It is crucial to buy a DEFRA-approved stove if you reside in a zone that is smoke-controlled. This will allow you to avoid a fine from the local authority. This is because if you burn 'unauthorised fuel in a non-approved stove, like coal or other solid fuels that could result in fines of up to PS300.
Approved for Wood
A DEFRA approved stove, also known as a smoke exempt wood stove, is an appliance which can be used to burn wood in a Smoke Control Area. The stove will be stamped with the Defra approved logo or the word "SE" after its name, meaning it can be used in smoke controlled areas, when burning approved fuels which is in this case wood.
The older wood stoves can release a lot of particulate matter into the air that can trigger or contribute to respiratory issues, asthma attacks, heart issues and premature death. Therefore, it is essential to choose a wood stove that is in compliance with strict emission standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. Look for the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which indicates that the stove is in compliance with the emission limits that are currently in place.
If you purchase a stove that isn't EPA-certified and you live in a smoking area you'll have to recertify it before you can use the stove. It is expensive and time-consuming, however the law requires it. Homeowners who sell a home with a wood stove that is not certified may also be liable for tax credits or fines related to the clean air.
With a kit, or an adjustment supplied by the installer, most modern stoves can be made Defra-approved. This is because the primary difference between a DEFRA approved stove and one which aren't, is the combustion air management system which controls how much air passes through the stove during normal operation. The modifications are usually placed on the underside of the firebox or in the base.
Some manufacturers produce two versions of their wood stoves, one that is Defra approved and the other that is not. This is because the process of running a stove through the stringent Defra tests is expensive, so to help recoup 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 the combustion air as part of the test procedure.
Gas Approved
Before the Clean Air Acts were brought in residential homes could burn any kind of fuel they wanted which led to large amounts of smoke emissions as well as health problems. To prevent this Defra established Smoke Control Areas which meant that residential homes couldn't produce any smoke from their wood burners or multifuel stoves unless the appliance was Defra approved to burn only approved fuels like manufactured smokeless coals and anthracite.
Defra approved stoves, also known as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have undergone rigorous testing to demonstrate that they can burn cleanly authorised fuels within a Smoke Control Area. The latest technology for combustion delivers an indefinite amount 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 like anthracite and manufactured smokeless coals.
If you're looking to purchase a new wood burning stove and are in an area that has a Smoke Control Area then we would recommend that you take a look at the selection of Defra approved stoves that can be found at The Stove Yard. We have a broad selection of stoves that are Defra-approved, including traditional models, modern and inset from top brands like Stovax. DEFRA stoves reviews , Burley, and AGA.
The good news is there is no distinction in appearance between a stove approved by Defra and a stove that is not approved. However, the Defra-approved models do come with a few extra features that are designed to help them burn cleaner. They typically have an unintentionally different grate as well as air vents, and on gas versions they may have a slightly smaller flue outlet.
A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have 5" flue outlet (125mm). This means that you can use a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible liner, which is less expensive than a 6" (150mm). We've found this useful when customers have an old or non-standard chimney stack that we are installing the Defra approved wood burning stove in to and it reduces the cost of relining the chimney with a larger diameter liner.