Pick a filing cabinet lock2/18/2024 ![]() Build quality: A well-built safe is likely to keep your stuff safer, and at the very least it provides peace of mind.We made sure that the keys or keypads could consistently open the locks. Security: We don’t expect the safes in this category to be burglarproof, but a good locking mechanism is important.So far, none of our picks have allowed water inside. We’ve tried to independently verify these claims by spraying them with a fire hose and attempting (unsuccessfully) to submerge them in a bathtub. Waterproof rating: UL and Intertek don’t test how waterproof safes are, so we had to rely on the companies’ claims about their safes’ ability to keep water out.His advice: “Get the best you can afford.” He also noted that modern, petroleum-based furniture burns faster and hotter than traditional wooden furniture (video). He also said that a room will burn for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes if not addressed. Larry McKenna, a fire protection engineer at the US Fire Administration, an entity of FEMA, told us that the temperature at a room’s ceiling can reach 2,000 ☏ during a fire, though there’s a gradient, with the highest temperatures at the top. Tape recordings and film slides fall in between at 150 ☏. Part of the testing evaluates how suitable the safes are for different kinds of contents: The internal temperature must stay under 350 ☏ to keep paper safe, while digital media has a failure threshold of 125 ☏. The next level up is 60 minutes at 1,700 ☏, which offers a greater degree of security. This is a common certification from both UL and ETL. Most household safes are rated to last 30 minutes at 1,550 ☏, a standard based on modern firefighting response and how a fire typically moves through a house. Then the testers drop the safes three stories before placing them back in the furnace for more heat testing. Testers put the safes in a furnace at a specific temperature, for a specified amount of time a safe-maker can request tests at different temperature and duration marks. He said UL tests to different ratings depending on what kind of rating the manufacturer wants. We spoke to John Drengenberg, consumer safety director at UL, about the organization’s testing procedures. Independent fireproof rating: Most fireproof safes are tested and rated by UL and by the inspection firm Intertek, which uses the “ETL” mark.Measurements: 17.3 by 14.6 by 6.5 inches (WDH) Weight: 28 pounds UL fireproof rating: 30 minutes at 1,550 ☏ Just be careful with the keys: Unlike every other brand whose safes we tested, Union Safe explicitly says it can’t replace lost keys. On the plus side, it has a much smaller footprint than the Honeywell and weighs only 28 pounds, so it’s easier to move if necessary. But every fire is different, and this safe is certainly better than no safe at all. That’s half the endurance and a significant reduction in temperature protection compared with our top pick, so choosing this safe means you’re at greater risk of losing the contents if disaster strikes. It’s large enough to hold 8.5-by-11-inch sheets of paper without the edges curling, and it’s rated to withstand a 1,550 ☏ fire for 30 minutes. Larry McKenna, a fire protection engineer at the US Fire Administration, told us you should “get the best you can afford.” The Union Safe Company Waterproof And Fire Rated Document Safe, sold exclusively at Harbor Freight, is the best option if you can’t spend $100 on a safe or if you have limited floor space. Measurements: 20 by 17.2 by 7.3 inches (WDH) Weight: 42 pounds Intertek ETL fireproof rating: one hour at 1,700 ☏ But we think the price and size are worth tolerating because this safe gives your stuff a greater chance of surviving a disaster. ![]() The additional protection makes the 1114 noticeably larger and heavier than other safes of similar capacities-it weighs 42 pounds and takes up the same amount of floor space as a mini fridge. It’s large enough to hold both letter- and legal-size sheets of paper without your having to fold them. Honeywell also says the safe will keep spray and flood water out for 100 hours. It’ll be cooler down near the floor, where you keep your safe. A house fire can peak at about 2,000 ☏, but this kind of heat occurs at the highest points in your home, namely the attic or at least the ceiling. The Honeywell 1114 Lightweight Fire and Waterproof Chest is independently verified by the safety organization Intertek to keep personal items safe during a fire for up to an hour-twice as long as the competition-in conditions as hot as 1,700 ☏.
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