Do you know that natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes are often the main causes of many fire accidents that destroy a lot of houses every year? Seriously speaking, fire accidents are unpredictable and we can’t estimate our losses too. In order to avoid yourself from taking too much of financial risks, it is always good if you can get yourself a fireproof safe to be placed at your home sweet home.
All the consumers wish to get quality safes to safeguard their valuables and important items. Since there are too many choices in the market, you may not be good at choosing the right one which suits your specific needs. In order to avoid yourself from making the wrong selection, I would advise you to learn some basic knowledge about the fire resistant safes.
Seriously speaking, knowing the ratings of different fireproof safes is important. The ratings determine the levels of fire protection of different safes. You need to bear in mind that a safe is not 100% fireproof when it is labeled as fire resistant. There are many details you need to find out from the suppliers.
Let me share with you some important tips about the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) fire safe ratings:
Tip 1: Look for the labels of the safes when you make your purchase
In United States, the most widely accepted label is issued by the Underwriters Laboratories. You need to be extra careful when you go through the labels of different safes. You should only choose the products which have the labels of “UL Listed”. You are reminded not to purchase the products with the labels of “tested to UL standards” because the safes are actually not sent for test. Don’t get trapped by the unethical sales techniques.
Tip 2: Know the most common fire resistant UL ratings
Basically, there are 3 common UL ratings which you should keep in mind. The safes with the rating of UL ½ -Hour Fire Endurance Test are able to stand the maximum temperature of 1550 degrees F for half an hour. However, the safes with the rating of UL 1-Hour Fire Endurance Test are able to stand the maximum temperature of 1700 degrees F for one hour. If you are looking for the highest rating, you should go for safes with the labels of UL 2-Hour Fire Endurance Test. The safes with this rating are able to stand the maximum temperature of 1850 degrees F for the duration of two hours.
Tip 3: Compare the prices and materials of different safes
What is your investment cost for a fireproof safe? Since there are so many choices in the market, you are reminded to keep in mind one good rule of thumb. The more fire protection a safe offers; the higher cost you need to bear for the particular safe. At the same time, it is important for you to spend some time to learn about the materials used to produce the safes too.
To sum up, by having sufficient product knowledge, you will be able to get the exact fire safe that you need at the best price with the best protection.