Notes

10 Unexpected Defra Approved Stove List Tips
What is a Defra Approved Wood Burning Stove?

If you reside in an area where smoking is controlled, it's essential to buy a DEFRA exempt stove. A DEFRA exempt stove (or SE) allows you to legally burn wood in a smoke-controlled area.

The stoves are independently tested for the lowest emission possible. Stoves with this certification typically have the word 'Defra approved' in their name or on their specifications.

Approved for Smoke Controlled Areas

Many people believe that living in a smoke-free zone means they cannot use a wood burning fireplace. It's not the case. In 5kw defra multifuel stove , many cities and large towns are in a smoke-free zone, however this doesn't mean that you can't have stoves, it just means that you must use an exempt appliance and only use authorised fuels (usually Briquettes) in your stove. The stove that is Defra-approved is a wood-burning stove that has been thoroughly tested to ensure that it is in compliance with certain requirements regarding the emissions it produces when burning approved materials. This means it can 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 meet strict emission standards. This means you can rest assured that you're buying the best wood stove available.

If you are looking for a stove that burns wood that is Defra-exempt or that has SE after its title You will notice that the manufacturer might have done things like ensure that there are enough air intakes on the front of stove to ensure that there is a full combustion of fuel, and that the size of the chimney outlet is adequate to prevent accumulation of soot. This is important as it ensures that the smoke from the wood burning 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 install it with five" chimney liner, which will comply with the UK building regulations, whilst stoves that are not Defra approved will need to be fitted with a larger 6" liner.

At Stovax we are pleased to offer a range of Defra approved stoves and fires, as well as our Ecodesign Ready stoves that have been developed with the future standards of air quality in mind. In fact, many of our Defra approved stoves are also capable of being used with smoke control kits for properties located in a Smoke Control Area and so can be used with a variety of authorised 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 that you can put in a smoke control area when you plan to use it for solid fuel (wood or wood that is well-seasoned). They are tested by the government to ensure that they don't produce excessive levels of smoke. They are able to be used with 'authorized fuels (coal only).

The difference between the differences between a DEFRA approved stove and one that is not typically is very small. With a kit from the manufacturer, a lot of modern stoves can be easily transformed into DEFRA certified in a matter of just a few minutes. This is because the Defra approved stove must undergo rigorous tests and is limited on how much smoke it can produce.

To ensure that these limitations remain in place during the testing process, the stove needs to be able to limit the amount of combustion air it gets so that it does not deplete itself of oxygen, which may cause it to smoke. This is achieved by the mechanism that allows the air in the firebox while it is burning. It is usually concealed inside the stove or underneath the base of its firebox.

Stove World UK offers a wide range of DEFRA approved stoves from some of the country's best manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada and Burley. These are available in a huge variety of styles and colors. Choose from a wide range of Ecodesign stoves, which are designed to meet future requirements for air quality.

Smoke Control Areas are primarily situated around cities and towns with large populations and you can check the website of your local authority to determine if your area is classed as such. If you reside in a smoke controlled area it is essential to purchase a DEFRA approved stove for your home to avoid being fined by the local authority. This is because if you burn unauthorised fuel on 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 stove also known as a smoke exempt stove is an appliance that can be utilized 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, when burning approved fuels which is in this case wood.

Many older wood stoves emit large amounts of particulate matter into the air which can trigger or contribute to respiratory issues, asthma attacks, heart problems and premature death. This is why it's important to purchase an updated wood stove that meets the strict emission standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Look for the "EPA 2020 Certified Label" which means that the stove has met the emission limits that are currently in place.

If you purchase a stove that isn't EPA-certified and you reside in a smoke-free area it is necessary to get it recertified before you can use the stove. This can be expensive and time consuming, but it is legally required. Homeowners who sell a home with wood stove that is not certified could be liable for tax credits or fines related to pollution-free air.

Most modern stoves can be altered to become Defra approved with an adjustment kit or kit that the installer offers. The main difference between DEFRA approved stoves and ones that aren't is the combustion air control system that regulates the quantity of air that goes through the stove when it's in normal operation. The modification will usually be placed on the underside of the firebox, or in the base.

Certain manufacturers will make two versions of their wood stove one that is Defra approved and the other that is not. This is because the process of putting a stove through the strict Defra tests is very expensive in order to recover some of the cost, they will 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 procedure.

Gas Approved

Before the Clean Air Acts were brought into effect, residential homes could use any type of fuel they wanted which resulted in large amounts of smoke emissions as well as health issues. To combat this, Defra established Smoke Control Areas. This means that residential homes can not emit smoke in the event that their wood burners or multifuel stoves were Defra-approved to allow burning only authorised substances like manufactured smokeless coke and anthracite.

Defra approved stoves, also referred to as SE (Smoke Exempt) Stoves, have undergone stringent testing to prove that they can cleanly burn authorized fuels within a Smoke Control Area. They do this by using the latest technology for combustion that continuously delivers a minimum amount of secondary air to the firebox, to ensure that even if the stove is being used with approved fuels like anthracite or manufactured smokeless coals it will still be able to comply with the regulations of Defra for Smoke Control Areas.

The Stove Yard has a large selection of Defra-approved stoves that are ideal for those who reside in a smoke-free zone and require a brand new wood burning fireplace. We have a broad range of traditional, contemporary and inset Defra approved stoves from industry-leading manufacturers such as Stovax, Arada, Burley and AGA.

The good thing is that there's not any noticeable difference in appearance between an Defra approved woodburning stove and one which isn't, however the Defra approved models do have several features that are designed to ensure they burn cleaner. Generally they will have a different design of grate and air vents, and on gas stoves they might also have an outlet for the flue that is different in size.

Another benefit of an Defra Approved stove is that they'll almost always have a 5" (125mm) flue outlet, which means you can choose a narrower stainless steel twin wall chimney liner that is less expensive than the standard 6" (150mm) liner. We've used this when a customer has an older or non-standard chimney stack which we are installing the Defra approved wood-burning stove in and also saves the expense of relining the chimney with a bigger diameter liner.

Read More: https://www.meetingwithpia.org/members/songpuppy2/activity/2022996/