When people purchase a fireproof safe, one of the key concerns which they people often consider and ponder about is what fire rating does one need in order to be protected. There is no simple answer but below we provide some guidance on what to select and the factors involved that may impact the option or choice you make. We look at some of the considerations below.
What is going to be put inside the safe?
What items do you intend to put in the safe, would it be paper documents or would it be valuable metals of some sort that you are storing or would it be digital media. For example, if you are simply storing some precious metal such as gold, then you would not have to worry too much about a high fire rating as most house fires only goes to approximately 600 degrees Celsius and gold are not affected until at a much higher temperature. However, if you are storing important documents, then you would need to look for a fire rating that is most suitable depending on the budget and where the safe is going to be put.
What is the value of the safe that you are looking to spend on?
Typically, a higher value fire safe will come with a higher fire rating. However, depending on your budget and location, you can pick the one that is the most suitable for you. However, do be aware that there are some security boxes that offer no fire rating regardless of their value, so please make sure that the safe you are purchasing does not have just a single casing and no fire insulation is captured in the walls.
Where are you going to put the safe?
Where the safe is being placed is an important consideration, whether it is in an apartment complex, small house, large mansion or a commercial building. For a home, a lower fire rating can be considered for small houses while a higher fire rating should be considered for large mansions. This is because there is simply more things to burn in a large mansion so fire do burn longer before they are put out or burn itself out. For commercial buildings, that would vary depending on the surrounding businesses. If there are businesses that are more prone to fire hazard, a longer fire rating safe should be considered.
Where are you located?
If your home or office is located in a city or urban area, a high fire rated safe may not be needed and a 30 minute one is adequate for your needs. This is because fire department can arrive and control the fire in a relatively short time frame. For example, the typical response time for the fire department to arrive on site in an urban setting is about 15 minutes. However, if you live in the rural area or countryside, where the travel for fire department is going to be longer, then a high fire rating such as a 1 to 2 hour rated one maybe required.
Therefore, look at the above factors and consider it against your own situation into what fire rating is the right one. It is not often the case that you need the highest rated one and a 30 minute one is more than adequate for your needs. Guarda has a series of fireproof safes ranging from 30 minute fire rated to 1 hour and 2 hour fire rated. Some come with a waterproof features which can help protect against water, as there are also a lot of water at the scene when fires are being put out.
Source: Acme Locksmith “Locksmith recommended: How much fire rating do you need in a safe?”
Post time: Nov-07-2021
