Choosing a DEFRA Approved Wood Burner
Many people searching for a new stove may be considering a DEFRA approved wood burner. These stoves can be placed within smoke-control areas as long as only approved fuels from DEFRA are used.
They are often modified by the manufacturer to limit the amount they are deprived of air, which could cause an odorless combustion.
Clean Burn Technology
When it comes to wood-burning and multi-fuel stoves, there are many different terms. The most important terms are DEFRA exemption, Ecodesign and clean burn. These may sound like marketing buzzwords to a common person but they are crucial to consider when choosing your new stove.
A Defra approved stove is an appliance that is suitable for use in smoke control areas provided it is using specific types of fuels (mostly logs, briquettes and steam coal with low volatile). Modern stove manufacturers use special combustion systems with third and secondary airflows to reduce the stove's emissions. This means that they produce less smoke than traditional open fires and other stoves that are not Defra approved.