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What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you live in an area where smoke is controlled, it’s important to purchase a defra burning mdf exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt stove (or SE) allows you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.

They are independently tested to provide the lowest possible emissions. Stoves with this status typically have the ‘Defra approved’ logo in their names or specifications.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people think that living in a Smoke Control Area means you can’t use a wood-burning stove however this isn’t true. Most cities and large towns fall under a smoke control zone, however that doesn’t mean 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 thoroughly tested to ensure that it is in compliance with certain requirements in regards to the emissions it emits when burning authorised fuels. It can therefore be used legally in a smoke control area.

The Defra Logo is widely used in the industry, and a lot of stoves have the SE after their names to signify that they are smoke-free. In order for a stove to be SE approved, it must meet strict criteria with regards to emissions, so you can be assured that if you choose an exempt defra stove, you will receive the cleanest and most Efficient NRG Eco Design Stove – MultiFuel Fireplace for Sale 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 notice that the manufacturer has taken steps to make sure that there are enough air intakes on the front of the stove to allow full combustion of fuel and that the size of the chimney outlet is sufficient to prevent accumulation of soot. This is crucial as it ensures that the smoke from the stove doesn’t escape through the chimney into your home.

Another benefit of a Defra approved stove is that it typically allows you to install it with a 5″ chimney liner, which will comply with the UK building regulations, whilst stoves that aren’t Defra-approved will have to be fitted with a larger 6″ liner.

At Stovax we are proud to offer a range of Defra approved stoves and fires, alongside our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been created with future air quality standards in mind. In fact, many of our Defra approved stoves are capable of being used with smoke control kits for those properties that are located 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 in the event that you intend to make use of it for solid fuel (wood and preferably well-seasoned). They are inspected by the government to ensure that they don’t create excessive amounts 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 very small. Modern stoves can be converted to DEFRA certified by the kit supplied by the manufacturer and installed in just a few minutes. This is due to the fact that Defra approved appliances must pass extremely stringent tests and are restricted in the amount of smoke they can produce.

To ensure that these limitations are not violated during testing, the stove will have to be capable of limiting the amount of combustion air it gets to ensure that it doesn’t deplete itself of oxygen, which may cause it to smoke. This is accomplished through a mechanism that opens a small amount air into the firebox when it is burning. It is usually hidden inside the stove or underneath the base of its fire box.

Stove World UK has a large selection of DEFRA approved stoves, made by some of the best manufacturers in the world such as Stovax Arada and Burley. These are available in a wide variety of styles and finishes. Pick from a variety of Ecodesign stoves, which are designed to meet the future needs for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are typically situated around large towns and city centres and you can check the website of your local authority to determine if the area you live in is classed as such. It is essential to buy an approved DEFRA-approved stove if reside in a zone that is smoke-controlled. This will allow you to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you burn unauthorised fuel in a non-approved stove, like coal or any other solid fuels and you are 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 used in a Smoke Control Area when burning wood. The stove will be stamped with the Defra approved logo or have ‘SE’ after its name which means it can be used in smoke-controlled areas when burning approved fuels, in this case wood.

Many older wood stoves emit huge amounts of particulate matter, which can trigger or exacerbate asthma attacks, respiratory issues and heart problems. This is why it is essential to buy new wood stoves that is compliant with the strict emission standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Look for an “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 is not EPA-certified, and you reside in a smoke-free area you’ll have to renew the certification before you can use the stove. It’s costly and time-consuming, but the law requires it. In addition, homeowners who sell a house that has a wood stove that is not certified could be liable for clean air tax credits as well as fines.

With a kit, or an adjustment made by the installer, most modern stoves can be Defra approved. This is because the primary difference between the DEFRA approved stove and those that aren’t is the combustion air management system which regulates how much air flows through the stove during normal operation. Modifications are usually applied to the base or underside of a stove’s firebox.

There are some manufacturers who produce two versions of a wood stove: one that is Defra-approved and the other not. This is due to the process of placing a stove through strict Defra tests is very expensive, so to help recoup some of the costs, they’ll offer the non-approved model at a lower cost. The DEFRA-approved version has undergone the combustion air modification in the course of the test process.

Approved for Gas

Prior to the Clean Air Acts, residential homes could use any fuel they wanted, which resulted in high levels of smoke emissions. This could cause health problems. To prevent this Defra created Smoke Control Areas which meant that homes in residential areas couldn’t emit 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 SE (Smoke-Exempt) Stoves have been put through rigorous tests to demonstrate that they can safely burn approved fuels within a Smoke Control Zone. They accomplish this by using the latest combustion technology which constantly delivers a minimum level of secondary air to the firebox so that even when the stove is being used with authorised fuels such as anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals, it will still be able to comply with Defra’s rules for Smoke Control Areas.

The Stove Yard has a large selection of Defra-approved stoves which are perfect for those who reside in a smoke-free area and need a new fireplace that burns wood. We offer a variety of Defra-approved stoves, including traditional, contemporary and inset models from top brands like Stovax. Arada, Burley, and AGA.

The good news is there is no difference in appearance between a stove that is Defra-approved and one that isn’t. However the stoves that are approved by Defra include a few features that are designed to help them burn cleaner. In general, they have a different grate and air vents and on the gas models they may also feature an outlet for the flue that is different in size.

A Defra Approved Stove will almost always have 5″ flue outlet (125mm). This means you can choose a smaller stainless steel twin wall flexible liner that is less expensive than a 6″ (150mm). This is useful when installing wood-burning stoves that are Defra-approved into an old or non-standard chimney stack. It saves money on re-lining a larger diameter chimney liner.