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SOLIFTEC FACTSHEET
GUIDE TO EUROPEAN
SOLID FUEL APPLIANCE STANDARDS &
THE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS DIRECTIVE
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What's
the Construction Products Directive? In 1988 European Counties agreed on the Construction Products Directive, 89/106/EEC, which lays down that "any product which is produced for incorporation in a permanent manner in construction works" must be "fit for its intended use" allowing for "differences ... at national, regional or local level". It also provides for free trade in construction products in that "Member States shall not impede the free movement, placing on the market or use in their territory of products which satisfy the provisions of this Directive." and guards against petty local interference by saying that "Member States shall ensure that the use of such products ... shall not be impeded by rules or conditions." To make sure that this happens The Committee for Standardization (CEN) will define Europe-wide standards, and where all countries agree on one single 'harmonised' standard, then that standard will become compulsory. If a supplier is certain their product meets the standard, they can put the familiar CE mark on it to show that it is fit for sale throughout the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). The Construction Products Directive  |
What are the CEN Standards
for solid fuel appliances?
Most importantly: EN 13240:2001 'Room heaters fired by
solid fuel'
also:
EN 12809:2001 'Residential independent boilers fired by solid
fuel - Nominal heat output up to 50 kW', EN 12815:2001
'Residential cookers fired by solid fuel', EN 13229:2001 'Inset
appliances including open fires fired by solid fuels'
Plus, in the pipeline: Sauna Stoves, and EN 15250 'Slow heat
release appliances fired by solid fuel', EN 14785 'Residential
space heating appliances fired by wood pellets' and EN 15544
'One-off Kachelgrundöfen/Putzgrundöfen (tiled/mortared stoves)
- Calculation method'
Where do I get copies of the Standards?
The copy of EN13240 available from the British Standards
Institute does not include the important A2 amendments of 2004.
Soliftec recommend buying a copy through the Irish Standards
Institute. www.standards.ie
Are the Standards all 'harmonised' and agreed on?
'Harmonisation' and thereby compulsion was scheduled for
1st July 2006, but has been put off until at least July 2007,
see: Journal of
the European Commission (2006/C 134/01) 
What does a stove have to do to meet the standard?
EN13240 is fairly straightforward. Stoves must be safe
and sound, at least 50% efficient, emit less than 1% Carbon
Monoxide, have thorough instruction manuals and be labeled with
the efficiency, heat output and CO emission on each recommended
fuel. The manufacturer can choose which fuel, which burning rate
and the precise setting of the controls to test on.
How does a manufacturer show that their product conforms to
EN13240?
Attestation systems come from Article 13.4 of the CPD,
which requires that the system chosen should be the least onerous
for manufacturers, consistent with safety. Attestation methods
range from System 4, where a manufacturer does their own tests,
makes their own declaration of conformity and sets up their own
factory production control system, to System 1+, which requires
full third party testing of every product.
EN13240 has an appendix placing solid fuel stoves in System 3,
which means that, for complete conformity to standard, and
thereby permission to use the CE mark, a sample of each appliance
will have to have its tests re-done and confirmed by a Notified
laboratory. While anyone whose product conforms to the standard
can claim and describe it as 'Conforming to the construction
and/or thermal requirements of EN13240', they can't claim that it
completely meets EN13240 because part of that standard is the
requirement for re-testing by a Notified Body.
Who are the Notified Bodies?
Soliftec maintain a list at laboratories.htm ,
those certified by national governments to carry out EN tests
leading to CE marking are shown with their CEN notified body
number.
Will every single appliance in a range need testing?
If the range consists just of the same product in
different sizes, then no - sample sizes can be tested and the
others interpolated. But where different versions are likely to
have different performance, say one model of stove offered with
or without a boiler, with a large or small boiler, inset or
freestanding, woodburning and multi-fuel versions, with top or
back flue outlet, or with style changes which can affect
performance such as different canopies, then every single version
is expected to be separately tested, on each and every fuel it
can use. The rules about which and what are in the EN Standards.
What about appliances already approved to individual European
national standards, or to North American, Australian or New
Zealand Standards?
There is no provision to 'carry over' existing
approvals, and no laboratories outside Europe are, as yet,
accredited to carry out EN testing.
How can I check whether a stove conforms to EN13240?
You can ask the stove manufacturer. But there is no
certified list, and no supervisory body. The Soliftec Register
lists some 3000 appliances with performance data
supplied by manufacturers.
What about reproduction appliances like basket grates?
Basket grates are not incorporated "in a permanent
manner in construction works" and so are outside the scope
of this legislation. Other replica appiances are expected to
conform.
Do products really need the CE mark?
CE marking is not mandatory for construction products in
the UK, Sweden or The Republic of Ireland. The position in other
EU countries, notably Portugal, Finland and Spain, is unclear.
So, while appliances are expected to soon be required to conform
to EN Standards, they won't, in those countries, need to have
that certified by a Notified Body.
Up-to-date information is at the new Dept for
Communities and Local Government
(Formerly the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister)
So, with a CE mark, our stoves can be sold and installed anywhere
in Europe?
No. The Standards allow individual states to add extra
requirements, for instance for higher efficiency or smoke
reduction, if they wish. It looks as if Germany, all the Nordic
countries and the UK will do this, while others, including
France, may impose extra requirements on installers. CE marking
may allow appliances to be sold across borders, but it is no
guarantee that they'll be allowed to be fitted. On the other
hand, as long as an appliance can be shown to conform to the
performance requirements of an EN Standard sufficient to satisfy
the requirements of one EU or EFTA country then there is no
reason why it should not be permitted to be sold even in
countries where certification by Notified Bodies is expected to
be compulsory, though, again, that is no guarantee that it can
legally be fitted.
Who's going to police all this?
Neither CEN, the European Commission nor any of the
Standards say. There is no provision for setting-up any sort of
supervisory body. Ultimately it will be up to individual town or
local authorites.
What should appliance manufacturers do now?
Even if implementation is rather ponderous, we think EN
Standards are sound and sensible, and that UK and Irish Solid
Fuel appliance manufacturers, distributors and importers should:
-Inspect their products to check that they physically conform to
standard
-Check that their installation and user manuals conform to
standard
-Begin their own thermal testing to establish efficiency and CO
emissions
-Work to establish what fuels and firing regimes will give the
results they want on EN tests
-Establish a relationship with a Notified body
-Be prepared
SOLIFTEC has a quick checklist to help in assessing conformity to
EN13240
SOLIFTEC Checklist for conformity
to EN13240
Who's behind all this?
This document is from Soliftec - The
Solid Fuel Technology Institute .
The European Standards are prepared by CEN Technical
Committee 295, chaired by professor William Kaye of the UK. More
information at CEN Where you are invited to send comments to the
committe online.
QUESTIONS? glynhughes@btinternet.com