With the colder months behind us and the warmest yet to come, burning wood is a great way to stay warm at this this awkward time of the year - when turning on the central heating feels a little over the top. But if you live in a smoke control area, it is important to ensure you are using a DEFRA approved wood burning or multi-fuel stove for heating your home with solid fuels.
Due to their denser populations, urban areas have historically had different rules to the countryside for burning wood or solid fuels. Today, most towns and cities have smoke control restrictions, which only allow the burning of wood in an approved appliance. You can find out if you live in a Smoke Control Area here or by speaking to your local retailer.
DEFRA approved solid fuel appliances meet certain standards set by the government. These stoves and glass fronted fires are independently verified by HETAS to ensure they meet these strict requirements. When burning the right wood, these heating products are highly efficient and produce minimal smoke emissions, especially when compared to open fires and older stoves.
The technology and design of a DEFRA approved stove is very different to other wood burning appliances and open fires. An airtight construction allows combustion airflow to be adjusted to control the heat. Tertiary airflow systems ensure combustion air is delivered to key areas of the fire – such as above the logs – igniting wood gases before they leave the chimney. This not only results in more heat, but also helps to burn off particulates and other by-products of combustion.
As a leading manufacturer, we have the largest range of wood burning and multi-fuel DEFRA approved stoves and fires in the UK. A huge variety of styles ensure there is a stove suitable for any interior, ranging from traditional to contemporary – with many timeless styles in between. For a definitive list of smoke control approved appliances visit the DEFRA website.
Burning the right fuels on your DEFRA approved stove is critical for high efficiency and low emissions. Make sure you only burn good quality dry wood with a moisture content of no more than 20%. You can test the moisture content of wood with a moisture meter to see if it is ready to burn. See our guide to indentifying good firewood here. If you choose to burn mineral fuels, make sure you only burn smokeless fuels with a sulphur content of less than 2%.
Many of our DEFRA approved stoves and fires burn with such low emissions they also meet tougher Ecodesign standards, which are set to arrive in 2022. These regulations only apply to stove manufacturers, and do not effect existing appliances. Stovax are proud to offer the widest range of SIA Ecodesign Ready stoves and fires in both the UK and Ireland.
For more information on both DEFRA approved and Ecodesign Ready Stovax stoves visit your local retailer.
cleanburn contemporary ecodesign Ecodesign Ready logs multi-fuel fires multi-fuel stoves smoke control area stovax traditional wood burning wood burning fires wood burning stoves
Posted by Dan on May 11, 2019
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