#HOME DEPOT FIRE PROOF SAFES PLUS#

The next level up is 60 minutes at 1,700 вЏ, 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 вЏ, 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 organizationвЂ™s testing procedures.

Independent fireproof rating: Most fireproof safes are tested and rated by UL and by the inspection firm Intertek, which uses the вЂњETLвЂќ mark.

Measurements: 17.3 by 14.6 by 6.5 inches (WDH) Weight: 28 pounds UL fireproof rating: 30 minutes at 1,550 вЏ Just be careful with the keys: Unlike every other brand whose safes we tested, Union Safe explicitly says it canвЂ™t replace lost keys.

#HOME DEPOT FIRE PROOF SAFES PLUS#

On the plus side, it has a much smaller footprint than the Honeywell and weighs only 28 pounds, so itвЂ™s easier to move if necessary. But every fire is different, and this safe is certainly better than no safe at all. ThatвЂ™s half the endurance and a significant reduction in temperature protection compared with our top pick, so choosing this safe means youвЂ™re at greater risk of losing the contents if disaster strikes. ItвЂ™s large enough to hold 8.5-by-11-inch sheets of paper without the edges curling, and itвЂ™s rated to withstand a 1,550 вЏ fire for 30 minutes.

Larry McKenna, a fire protection engineer at the US Fire Administration, told us you should вЂњget the best you can afford.вЂќ The Union Safe Company Waterproof And Fire Rated Document Safe, sold exclusively at Harbor Freight, is the best option if you canвЂ™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 вЏ 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. ItвЂ™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. ItвЂ™ll be cooler down near the floor, where you keep your safe. A house fire can peak at about 2,000 вЏ, 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 вЏ. Plus, according to a fire expert we spoke to, their two-hour-plus protection ratings offer diminishing returns since most house fires are out within about an hour. For starters, they cost at least three times as much as our top pick (and often several times more), and they weigh so much (at least 100 pounds) that theyвЂ™re difficult to move once in place. ItвЂ™s important to note that although there are safes that offer a greater degree of fire protection, they arenвЂ™t designed specifically for documents as our picks are, and they have other disadvantages. That means it has the greatest potential among document safes weвЂ™ve seen to keep your stuff-including irreplaceable documents, photos, and essentials like passports and birth certificates-secure. ItвЂ™s independently rated to last longer in higher-temperature fires than other safes of its size, and it will keep its contents dry longer when submerged in water. WeвЂ™ve tested more than a dozen safes over the years, even burning five of them in a controlled fire, and weвЂ™re sure HoneywellвЂ™s 1114 Lightweight Fire and Waterproof Chest is the best document safe you can get for your home or office. But if the time comes, chances are, the safe will be worth far more than you paid. A fireproof safe is the kind of thing you buy hoping its capabilities are never put to the test.

Home depot fire proof safes