Fireproof and fire-resistant safes can vary in price, but you’ll also find that the cost matches the protection they provide. Flame and smoke damage aren’t the only concerns you’ll have after a home fire. The process of extinguishing the fire itself can damage your belongings due to the chemicals used in the process. Although the items in the safe may be protected from dry, powdery types of extinguishing agents, liquid and water can seep into safes that aren’t protected against it, and those substances can easily damage the items inside. The LED lights that come on when you open the safe are awesome! They completely light up the inside of the safe well enough to see everything inside. You can program them to stay off, stay on for 30 seconds or 60 seconds. The manual states that if you set them to 60 seconds it will drain batteries faster. But, I don't care... I want the light on. The manual also states not to ever use rechargeable batteries. I'm not sure why.

SentrySafe | Fireproof and Waterproof How to Setup Your SentrySafe | Fireproof and Waterproof

A floor safe is a great alternative to putting a hole in your wall. These safes secure to the floor for enhanced defense against thieves. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit in tight, hidden spaces. If you want to bolt your floor safe down, hard surfaces like concrete are best. Before you buy a fire-resistant safe, it’s essential to first determine whether it will, in fact, hold up during a fire. The basic requirement to qualify as a fire-resistant safe is 20 minutes at 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. But obviously, the longer the resistance and the higher the temperature, the better. Some models promise fireproofing for one hour at 1700 degrees Fahrenheit. With other models, you’ll get 20 minutes of resistance at 1200 degrees. We had to cut into the safe, as the front of the safe was completely melted. We opened up the safe and to our AMAZEMENT, all of the contents were not terribly damaged from the fire. This fire burned VERY HOT. I posted a picture of the fire-proof envelope we used to put a few hundred dollars into it and the money was still there!!! EVERYTHING DID NOT BURN. Now, there is one little issue...the safe took on water after the fire warped the box and water was able to get into the inside of the safe. It is ok...I WOULD BUY THIS SAFE AGAIN (when I can afford another one). People, do not hesitate in purchasing this safe, I am living proof that this safe can fall 15 feet and survive...can withstand a darn hot fire and survive...can somewhat withstand gallons and gallons of water and survive. BUY IT...I am your example. The UL rating for the temperature isn’t provided, but it is rated safe for electronics, so it must be UL 150 or better. That covers thumb or USB drives so it must be fine for a camera or tablet as well – if SentrySafe is telling the truth.One possible reason for the weakness isn’t hard to find. The internals are made of pot metal, not quality steel, integrated with plastic, and not particularly high-quality plastic. It can also fail when the batteries die. However, once replaced with a fresh set, the pad works as normal. No need to reset anything. There are a couple of small "bins" inside the door for small things like rings, thumb drives etc. Also, there are key hooks! All that aside, whatever your personal needs and circumstances, there are a few attributes of the SFW123GDC that are likely to be evaluated the same for nearly anyone. Not least is the welcome level of fire and water protection this safe can offer. My safe came with Lag Bolts to bolt down to the floor. Keep in mind, if you opt to bolt this safe down, it immediately voids the "water" portion of the warranty! I did not know this. But, I am sure that with some high quality silicone a person can still make sure that water will not get in though I doubt that Sentry would recommend this. I do not live in a flood prone state or area so that is the least of my worries. This is an expensive safe. But because it is one of the best levels of protection in any emergency and is large, it will likely be the only safe that you need. The interior is carpeted to keep your valuables protected and padded. You can also use it as a gun safe. It weighs 167.2 pounds (the heaviest on our list), so it likely isn’t going to be moved much once you get it in place.

Do I Change the Batteries on My Safe? | SentrySafe How Do I Change the Batteries on My Safe? | SentrySafe

This model could remain on my wishlist anyway, however, since it goes beyond the norm in one key way. It’s ETL rated as well. Edison Testing Laboratories, like UL, is a major and trusted certification company. In this instance, they found that the SFW123GDC can withstand sitting in up to 8 inches of water for up to 24 hours and the contents suffer no water damage. They gave it a 1-hour time rating. That might be too low in circumstances that if you live in an area where the fire department might not show up right away, especially in winter. One hour-time rating is not short, and it could be fully adequate. Ok...today was the first day we could get into the home. WE FOUND THE SAFE. As you can see in the picture, the safe is completely burned on the outside. Then safe was also a little warped from the high temperature. Keep in mind that this safe has been sitting inside this house, under fire debris for over 2 months. One important consideration is size. The largest offers sizes as large as 2.05 cubic feet. Others are only 0.17 cubic feet in size, which means letter-size documents will need to be folded to fit inside.

A wall safe might be right for you if you have a small floor plan and can make modifications to your home. Wall safes can hide behind doors or portraits without taking up too much floor space. If you do opt for a wall safe, make sure that it’s mounted between the studs in the wall. Look for a unit that not only features double steel wall construction with fire-resistant insulation, but also a padded bottom to protect your items. For optimal performance, SentrySafe recommends the use of four high-quality, name branded, alkaline AAA batteries with an expiration date of 8-10 years from the current year Consider a model that also has waterproof features, with the ability to remain watertight for 24 hours in up to 8 inches of water. However, sometimes the insulation inside this type of safe can build up condensation inside. You might not think that is something you need. But keep in mind, even if you live in an area where flooding is highly unlikely, fires are typically extinguished with water. It gives me peace of mind. If a blaze does break out, the fire department can have a field day with the hose, and my valuables will remain intact.