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Fire Protection

DO YOU NEED FIRE PROTECTION?

Papers and documents char at temperatures around 405°F. Guns are damaged by temperatures exceeding 500°F. To protect documents and other possessions during a home fire, the internal temperature of a safe should remain below 350°F. This is why we include Phoenix™ Fire Protection standard on all models—so your safe’s contents will be protected from fire as well as theft.

 

FIVE LEVELS OF FIRE PROTECTION

• Phoenix™ Class I:  45 minutes at 1325°F
   Model T Series

• Phoenix™ Class II:  60 minutes at 1350°F
   Medalist & SS Series

• Phoenix™ Class III:  75 minutes at 1500°F
   Trophy Series

• Phoenix™ Class IV:  90 minutes at 1650°F
   Triumph Series

• Phoenix™ Class V:  Two hours at 1750°F
   Crown Series

FIRE PROTECTION DETAILS

A safe’s fire resistance depends on four variables:

  1. Type and Amount of Insulation. Gypsum is the most commonly used material in home safes. When heated to 262°F it releases water vapor, which cools the safe’s interior. Until the moisture is baked out of the gypsum the interior temperature of a safe will remain in the 200°F to 300°F range. Multiple layers of gypsum provide longer and higher ratings.
  2. How Well the Fire Insulation Is Installed. The inside of the safe should be fully covered with fire insulation—no bare metal or hinge pocket cutouts.
  3. Door Steel Thickness and Rigidity. Heat causes metal distortion. Temperatures above 1000°F quickly distort thin, light-weight doors in only minutes, causing premature fire seal failure.
  4. Door Seal Effectiveness. Intumescent (heat-expanding) fire seals, when heated above 300°F, can expand up to ten times their original thickness, sealing out heat. Double and triple seals are especially effective at achieving ratings of over an hour. Rope or other types of seals are not as effective.

CROWN / TRIUMPH SERIES TEST PROCEDURE

The Crown and Triumph series were tested simultaneously at an ASME certified facility. Four unshielded temperature sensors positioned near the top and bottom of each safe were connected to two separate temperature recorders to verify internal temperatures. The test continued for two hours, heating the steel exteriors to cherry red. Afterward, when examining the burned safes, we found the intense heat had buckled and deformed the safes’ bodies but the doors remained straight and sealed.

 

Trophy / Medalist / Model T TEST PROCEDURE

The Trophy, Medalist and Model T series were tested simultaneously at an ASME certified facility. Four unshielded temperature sensors positioned near the top and bottom of each safe were connected to two separate temperature recorders to verify internal temperatures. The test continued for 75 minutes, with furnace temperatures exceeding 1500° F.

The results prove that you can’t find better fire protection in an internal-hinge safe.

Crown and Triumph Series Fire Certification Results

Trophy, Medalist, Model T and SS Series Fire Certification Results

*To receive fire certification, the maximum internal temperature must remain below 350°F.

All temperatures listed are in Fahrenheit.

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