BURNING WOOD IN A SMOKE CONTROL AREA
You must purchase a smoke control version of the Mendip stove which is modified slightly to comply with
regulations. Any change to this modification will invalidate the stoves compliance for smoke control areas.
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.
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 firebed 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 thereare too few embers in the fire bed, add suitable kindling to
prevent excessive smoke
Fuel overloading
The maximum amount of fuel specified in this manual should not be exceeded, overloading can cause excess
smoke.
The following text may be required depending on appliance operation and instructions:
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 appliance dampers open can cause excess smoke. The appliance must not be
operated with air controls, appliance dampers or door left open except as directed in the instructions
