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. 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. You can bolt it down using the included kit, but that is not required. It's a bit pricey compared to similarly sized safes, but because it protects against multiple elements and has multiple layers of protection, we think it's well worth the cost for the added peace of mind. If you are going to buy one safe for your important documents and valuables, this is an excellent choice.

SentrySafe Waterproof and Fireproof Alloy Steel Digital Safe

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. Waterproof safe box is ETL Verified for 24 hours of protection in water up to 8 inches deep offering peace of mind in the event of a flood 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. 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 The safe is much bigger inside than I imagined. You can easily keep 8" X 10" size pieces of paper inside (so a regular sized manila folder fits just fine laying down).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. 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. A fireproof safe can house those valuables, protecting them if the worst happens. Hard-to-replace items like marriage and birth certificates, family photos and passports can rest comfortably inside, resisting the smoke and fire that surround it. Many fireproof safes also build in waterproofing, which keeps your document safe if water is used during the extinguishing process. It may have the added bonus of protecting your items if your home floods due to an appliance leak or natural disaster. 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.

SentrySafe Digital Fire/Water Safe | SFW123ES | SentrySafe

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.

Manual

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. Exterior: 16.3 in. W x 19.3 in. D x 17.8 in. H; door requires 14.75 in. of clearance to fully open; Interior: 12.6 in. W x 11.9 in. D x 13.8 in. H; large 1.23 cubic foot capacity; weighs 86.69 pounds There are a couple of small "bins" inside the door for small things like rings, thumb drives etc. Also, there are key hooks! 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. Fireproof and fire-resistant safes can vary in price, but you’ll also find that the cost matches the protection they provide.

Product Manuals: SFW123GDC | SentrySafe

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.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.