GUIDE TO LATEST REGULATIONS

Michael Coke of Stovax takes us through the latest directives that aim to ensure wood-burning stoves are both e cient and eco-friendly

Stoves and !res have come on in leaps and bounds over the years, but more can be done to ensure they are a practical and safe heating solution, with minimal environmental impact. Older stoves, especially those over 10 years old, do not feature up-to-date technology, meaning they burn with a much lower e!ciency, and in some cases are not suited to be used in Smoke Control Zones. Particulate ma"er and other harmful gases are not burnt o#, and end up being released into the air.

Leading manufacturers are paving the way to a be"er environment and cleaner air. DEFRA-exempt stoves made a positive start. These products usually feature triple air$ow systems that provide secondary burning of gas and smoke particles before they can go up the chimney. The result is not only a cleaner burn with clearer smoke, but also much higher heating e!ciency, requiring far fewer logs to heat the room.

In addition, Ecodesign regulations are due to come into e#ect from 1st January 2022. Ecodesign requires manufacturers to reduce the environmental impact of energy-using and energyrelated products, including emissions from solid-fuel stoves and %res. From 2022, only Ecodesign stoves and %res can be manufactured. These regulations will see manufacturers working hard to achieve new standards, with the overarching goal to make a signi%cant improvement to air quality.

Using the right fuel is really important. If you are installing a high-e!ciency, Ecodesign wood-burner, it makes sense to feed it with the right fuel. In fact, as part of the Clean Air Strategy, the government has banned the most polluting fuels, which are wet or ’green’ wood and house coal. This is good news for the industry, as wet wood and house coal produce tar, creosote, and harmful gases when burnt. This quickly clogs the $ue, and reduces the e!ciency of your appliance. When using the right

ABOVE Vogue 700 inset wood-burning fire, £1,835, Stovax. BELOW LEFT County 3 multi-fuel stove in Black, £799, Stovax. wood on an Ecodesign compliant stove or %re, emissions are reduced by as much as 90 per cent. That’s a huge di#erence.

For lower emissions, choose an Ecodesign stove and quality, dry %rewood. The optimum moisture content for %rewood is between 14–20 per cent. The fuel bed will heat up much more quickly, staying hot and allowing the appliance to then burn o# the majority of particulate ma"er and hydrocarbons, rather than using its energy to boil o# excess water. This yields a much more e!cient burn, which means less fuel is required.

If you’re trying to choose between a wood-burning stove and a multi-fuel stove, remember that wood-burners are designed to only burn real wood (not brique"es etc) and will feature a %xed grate for burning logs on, allowing the %rewood to sit on a bed of ash. Multi-fuel stoves on the other hand incorporate a raised grate system and are primarily designed to burn smokeless fuels, but can be used occasionally for burning logs.

If you already own a non-Ecodesign stove, as a responsible stove manufacturer we do recommend that you upgrade to an Ecodesign-compliant stove or %re. Although the regulations are not law for homeowners, you will positively improve the air quality and use around 70 per cent less wood than an open %re and 20 per cent less than a standard stove to heat your home. It is important that the stove is installed by an installer registered with a scheme such as HETAS or OFTEC. The stove should then be professionally serviced on at least an annual basis.