What is a Defra Approved Multi Fuel Stove?
A defra approved multi fuel stove is one that has been successfully passed the Defra smoke tests. They are also known as SE (smoke-exempt) stoves.
The Defra department of the government is responsible for the rules and regulations related to rural issues, agriculture, and the environment. The Defra Test guarantees that you can burn wood and approved smokeless fuels, like Anthracite Ovals, for instance, in a smoke-controlled space without disturbing your neighbours.
Eco-Friendly
Eco-friendly stoves emit a minimum amount of carbon dioxide, by making use of fuel efficiently, and using sustainable materials. They typically use wood or a combination of approved fuels, and are designed with eco-friendly considerations in the back of their minds. A wide range of eco-friendly log burners and multi fuel stoves are readily available that range from modern to traditional models. Some eco-friendly stoves make use of dung as an efficient and carbon-negative alternative to wood.
The most important thing you can do to make your stove eco-friendly is ensure that the fuel is properly seasoned or dried in a kiln. This reduces the moisture content of the wood, allowing it to burn more efficiently. It is recommended to buy only wood that has been harvested from sustainable forests. When buying wood, look for the Woodsure 'Ready to Burn' label to verify that it has been properly dried.
Most modern stoves are designed to meet the strict EU EcoDesign standards. These standards require that stove makers create wood-burning stoves that have energy efficiency and environmental protection in the back of their minds. Manufacturers must take into account emissions, resource efficiency, and waste reduction when they design Ecodesign stoves. These are among the most eco-friendly and cleanest stoves on the market today.
Replace the grates on your stove with ceramic grate. This will make it more eco-friendly. It is not just visually appealing and attractive, but it also comes with the added benefit of being anti-smoking and helping reduce sulphur dioxide in the air. Ceramic grate liners are also easy to maintain and last longer than steel inserts for grates.
In a Smoke Control Area you can still use a wood burner or multi-fuel stove, but it is crucial to only use approved fuels by Defra. You could be breaking the law if you do not. To avoid this, only make use of Defra approved fuels, for example, anthracite that is manufactured smokeless, in your stove.
Clean Burning
Multi fuel stoves that are approved by Defra are only permitted to be used in areas that are smoke-controlled in the event that they burn only smokeless fuel. It can be a non-smokeless log, anthracite, or a manufactured or natural product. The stove makers must follow the regulations to sell a DEFRA-exempt wood burner. Here at The Stove Yard we have a fantastic choice of DEFRA approved stoves for wood burning and multi fuel stoves from leading brands such as Arada, Parkray, Burley, Stovax and many more.
These types of Defra exempt stoves offer the most advanced combustion technology, designed to reduce the amount of emissions and tar build-up in your chimney and flue system. The stoves utilize secondary and tertiary systems that ignite particulates, tar gases and other pollutants before they are released into the air. fireplacesandstove.com is the reason Defra approved wood burning stoves are so much healthier than open fires as well as older models of stoves.
The design of a Defra-approved stove is also distinct. Most of our models have an internal mechanism that allows for the continuous flow of air into the fire, even when the vents for air have been closed. This prevents soot and ash being blown through the fireplace, which could cause dangerous chimney fires.
The new Defra-approved stoves don't allow you to completely close the air vents and slumber the stove for a night and release part-burned combustibles to the air.
A DEFRA-approved stove will also have a longer burn time compared to older stoves that aren't DEFRA-approved. However should you decide to swap your authorised fuel with smokeless coal to sleep the stove over night and reduce the time of the burning time as the continuous supply of air required for slumbering would curtail the combustion of smokeless fuel.
Emissions Reductions
When properly used, a DEFRA exempt stove can produce very low levels of emission. These emissions are usually PM2.5 particles, which, if inhaled, could cause a variety of health issues including heart conditions and lung illnesses.
The high combustion efficiency provided by a DEFRA-approved wood burning device reduces the amount of harmful particles and pollutants released in the burning process. This reduces the impact of the burning process on the environment.
As well as decreasing harmful emissions In addition, the efficiency of a stove reduces the cost of heating your home. Using an DEFRA approved wood-burning stove instead of gas boilers that are conventional can reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your energy costs.
If you live in a smoke controlled zone, you must ensure that your stove is DEFRA Approved or Smoke Exempt because this permits you to burn Defra Approved fuels like manufactured smokeless coal ovals like Anthracite and Homefire as well as dried wood and other approved solid fuels. This allows you to relax in your fireplace and not worry about a nuisance smoke affecting your neighbours.
In addition to being approved by DEFRA Many stoves are tested to clearSkies standards and can be marked with the mark clearSkies. The clearSkies scheme is an independent scheme that requires stove manufacturers to display information about the efficiency and emissions of their products to help consumers make an informed decision. The information must include a stove's efficiency rating and emissions, as well as its size and type.
It is important to remember that, just like Ecodesign the clearSkies regulations are minimum standards. Manufacturers may go above and above these. ESSE, for example has developed its latest stoves to be even more efficient and cleaner burning, producing less particulates without sacrificing performance or control. This latest development uses patented twin catalytic combustion technology that burns off the smoke particles it releases, dramatically reducing their effects on the atmosphere.
In reality it's true that if you're in an smoke controlled zone and use an DEFRA Approved stove with a good quality, kiln dried or seasoned log, you'll get as much, or even more heat from the same amount of dry wood as you would if you were burning it in a non-DEFRA Approved stove. In fact, it could be as much as 24 percent cheaper to heat your home with a the latest Defra Approved stove than a traditional gas boiler.
Conforms to Building Regulations
If you reside in a Smoke Control Area, it's important to have a DEFRA approved multi fuel stove. The stoves have been tested to ensure that they do not emit smoke when burning approved fuel. You can therefore use them in areas with a large number of buildings. We install and supply DEFRA approved log stoves from top brands such as Mi-fires and Contura.
A DEFRA approved multi fuel stove can allow you to burn peat, wood and other solid fuels in a safe manner. Be aware that some fuels are not permitted in Smoke Control Areas, so it's essential to be familiar with local guidelines and restrictions.
To allow a multi-fuel stove to be safe to use, it is important that you have the appropriate ventilation. This will help reduce the buildup of carbon monoxide within your home. DEFRA approved stoves have an inbuilt ventilation system that supplies enough air to the combustion process. This ensures that your home is always well ventilated and safe for use.
Additionally, DEFRA approved stoves have the minimum size for flues of 550mm2, so they can be used with a standard twinwall system. Our extensive selection of flue liners is compatible with DEFRA approved stoves, meaning you can improve your fireplace and ensure it meets the most recent emission requirements.
When you are choosing the DEFRA approved stove look for the 'DEFRA symbol on its packaging or in the information provided by the manufacturer online. A lot of reputable stove retailers include this information on their websites as well as on their displays in the store so that you can easily determine which stoves are in compliance with the regulations.
It's important to hire a certified professional if you intend to install a multi-fuel fireplace. This will ensure that the installation is compliant with the building codes. Inadequately following instructions for installation could result in a fine and damage to your property. We recommend choosing an HETAS certified installer to carry out your stove installation, because they will be well-versed in the guidelines of the manufacturer and building regulations.