From 1st July 2013 any solid fuel products are required to have a CE mark under the Construction Product Regulations. The requirements for manufacturers are straightforward – everything they sell after July 1st 2013 must be CE marked. The only exception is for appliances which were manufactured and had been placed on the market prior to that date to allow for a transition period. For example if the appliance was in stock with a retailer before July 1st, or had been bought by the installer or customer before that date.
Reiterating its position on CE marking, HETAS chief executive Bruce Allen said: “The Construction Product Regulation applies to any individual product that was placed in the supply chain from the 1st July 2013. Any products placed on the market from that date are required to be CE marked by virtue of this Regulation. Any solid fuel products (including wood burning and biomass) and associated equipment are therefore required to bear the CE mark.
“If a product does not carry the CE mark then enquiries should be made to ensure that it was placed on the market prior to the 1st July 2013. Placed on the market means, available in the supply chain within the EU market. If this cannot be confirmed, a non CE marked product must not be installed. This statement is intended as a summary of the law and is given in good faith, however only the Courts can provide a definitive interpretation of Statute Law.”
To comply with the law it makes sense to only buy or install CE marked products. However, if you are called upon to install a non CE marked appliance make sure you get a written declaration that the appliance was placed on the market (ie in stock) before July 1st 2013. If you’re buying directly from the manufacturer then the appliance must be CE marked. Any reputable manufacturer should be able to provide you with adequate information to make an informed decision, but where this is not forthcoming, or there is doubt, HETAS would recommend that you do not install the appliance.
All HETAS approved appliances have been checked for CE compliance, and are listed in the HETAS Guide which is distributed free of charge to HETAS registered businesses and to Local Authorities, retailers and other industry stakeholders, or is available online. All HETAS approved products have been through a careful examination process by industry experts to ensure that the efficiency and rated output and any other claims made by the manufacturer can be substantiated by appropriate testing through an accredited testing laboratory to the correct standard. HETAS also check that the user and installation instruction manuals are suitable for the UK market and that the efficiency of the appliance meets the UK building regulations requirements.
CE marking is important because it gives retailers, specifiers, installers and consumers an indication of product quality, safety and efficiency. As part of the legal requirements a genuine CE label should carry the following information:
-The last two digits of the year it was first affixed
-The name and registered address of the manufacturer or the identifying mark to allow the manufacturer to be easily identified
-The unique identification code of the product type