Smoke Exempt Requirements
The Clean Air Act 1993 and Smoke Control Areas
Under the Clean Air Act local authorities may declare the whole or part of the district of the
authority to be a smoke control area. It is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney of a building,
from a furnace or from any fixed boiler if located in a designated smoke control area. It is also an
offence to acquire an "unauthorised fuel" for use within a smoke control area unless it is used in an
"exempt" appliance ("exempted" from the controls which generally apply in the smoke control
area).
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has powers under the Act to
authorise smokeless fuels or exempt appliances for use in smoke control areas in England. In
Scotland and Wales this power rests with Ministers in the devolved administrations for those
countries. Separate legislation, the Clean Air (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, applies in Northern
Ireland. Therefore it is a requirement that fuels burnt or obtained for use in smoke control areas
have been "authorised" in Regulations and that appliances used to burn solid fuel in those areas
(other than "authorised" fuels) have been exempted by an Order made and signed by the
Secretary of State or Minister in the devolved administrations.
The Amalia, Oppdal and Silverdale 5 & 7 has been recommended as suitable for use in smoke
control areas when burning wood logs.
Further information on the requirements of the Clean Air Act can be found here:
http://smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk/
Your local authority is responsible for implementing the Clean Air Act 1993 including designation
and supervision of smoke control areas and you can contact them for details of Clean Air Act
requirements
Refuelling on to a low fire bed
If there is insufficient burning material in the fire bed to light a new fuel charge, excessive smoke
emission can occur. Refuelling must be carried out onto a sufficient quantity of glowing embers and
ash that the new fuel charge will ignite in a reasonable period. If there are too few embers in the
fire bed, add suitable kindling to prevent excessive smoke
Fuel overloading
The maximum amount of fuel (per hour) for this appliance is 9kg you should not exceed this figure,
overloading can cause excess smoke.
Operation with door left open
Operation with the door open can cause excess smoke. The appliance must not be operated with
the appliance door left open except as directed in the instructions.
Dampers left open
Operation with the air controls or dampers open can cause excess smoke. The appliance must not
be operated with air controls or dampers door left open except as directed in the instructions
GB12A Issue 2
18