Six things to know when buying a safe

1. Are safes really safe?

This is a difficult question to answer. Why? Because I sell safes, and I can't say my product is bad. But I also can't exaggerate its quality, as that would make you think I'm exaggerating. What I can do now is analyze how safes actually work:

(1) Safes are generally made of iron or steel, and are not easily damaged.

(2) The lock and key of the safe are modified and can only be one-to-one.

(3) The safe has a dual password protection mechanism.

2. Does anyone know how fireproof safes are obtained?

While safes originated in Europe, the United States developed fire-resistant safes much faster than Europe. Before Britain even began manufacturing fire-resistant safes, the United States had already improved its technology and applied for the world's first patent. In 1825, Jesse Delano began producing iron chests, becoming known as the earliest safe manufacturer in the United States. Following Jesse Delano, C.J. Gayler also began manufacturing safes in the United States. In 1833, C.J. Gayler applied for a patent for a "double-chamber fireproof chest," but in reality, this type of safe was not effective at resisting heat in a fire. Later, they applied for a patent for using asbestos in fireproof chests. By the late 1830s, fire-resistant safes were at their peak, and their effectiveness was proven in a major fire in New York in 1845, protecting a large amount of property.

3. Common Misconceptions When Buying Safes: Focusing on Cheap Prices

Some say you get what you pay for, but we don't want to spend too much money. Everyone wants to buy high-quality products at low prices, but such opportunities are rare, especially when buying a safe. Products that have passed national safety certification can be called "safes," while those without certification are simply called "deposit boxes." A large number of substandard products are sold under the guise of safes on the market. These products are much cheaper than legitimate safes, and some consumers are tempted by the lower price and end up buying inferior goods.

Why are these "safes" so cheap? Of course, merchants won't sell at a loss, so they have to "cut costs" on materials. Locks are the first line of defense in a safe; they are expensive to manufacture and require advanced technology. Inferior locks are cheap but relatively insecure. If the lock is easily opened, what's the point of having a safe? The steel plate is also a crucial part of a safe's security. A legitimate safe has a cabinet body with a steel plate thickness of at least 6mm, and the door panel is 8mm-10mm thick. Moreover, the steel plate undergoes advanced processing. However, safes are generally made of only 1.5-2mm thick steel plate or even sheet metal, which significantly reduces the safe's security. Inferior safes are not only inferior in materials compared to legitimate safes, but also have many substandard manufacturing processes, failing to achieve the desired anti-theft effect. Some merchants, in order to compete, lower the quality, materials, and price of their products, greatly reducing the anti-theft capabilities of these "safes," rendering them unworthy of being called "safes."

Quality inspection departments remind consumers not to buy inferior safes just because they are cheap.

4. Security considerations when buying a safe

(1) When purchasing a safe, pay attention to the name. There is only one word difference between a safe and a storage box, but their performance is very different. Many merchants take advantage of consumers' lack of knowledge and sell storage boxes as safes.

(2) Check if there is a CCC mark on the cabinet. CCC certification is a mandatory national certification, and unqualified products cannot be certified.

(3) Pay attention to product parameters. Generally, the safe body will be marked with information such as the size of the safe and the thickness of the steel plate. The thickness of the steel plate is an important factor in determining the safe's anti-pry and anti-drilling properties. The thicker the steel plate, the better the quality of the steel used, and the safer it is.

(4) Alarm function of safe. Generally, electronic safes have the function of automatically alarming after 3 incorrect password attempts.

(5) Modifying the management password: When a safe leaves the factory, it will be equipped with two passwords. One is the unlocking password that we use every day, and the other is the management password. Most people only know to change the unlocking password and do not pay attention to the management password. With the management password, you can also open the safe. For details on modifying the management password, please refer to the safe instruction manual.

(6) Storage of the key to open the safe: When you buy a safe, it usually comes with two kinds of keys: a regular key and a key to open the safe. With the key to open the safe and the key to unlock the safe, you can open the safe without a password. Therefore, the key to open the safe must be stored well, preferably separately from the key to unlock the safe.

(7) Another point is the lock. The lock is the key to the security of a safe. Therefore, you must pay attention to the quality of the lock when buying a safe. Some products now use plastic locks, which may look nice, but they are much less secure. Such locks will break if you light them with a lighter. Safes protect our property, so you must pay attention to these details when buying a safe to avoid buying an insecure one.

5. Emergency opening of the safe

Safes are usually equipped with an emergency key and an emergency power supply. This is to prevent the safe from being opened in case the electronic lock runs out of power, the combination is forgotten, or the lock malfunctions. How do you use the emergency key and emergency power supply? The emergency power supply is simple: just insert batteries into the emergency power supply and plug it into the emergency power socket. The safe will then have power. Open the safe as usual by entering the combination. To use the emergency key, insert the emergency key into the emergency keyhole and turn it 135 degrees clockwise. Insert the main key and turn it to open the safe. If neither of these methods works, you will need to contact the manufacturer for repair.

6. Standards for fireproof safes

Fireproof safes are used to protect the contents from fire in the event of a fire. Currently, the most commonly used fireproof safes worldwide refer to "paper fireproof safes," primarily designed to protect paper documents from combustion. When the outside temperature reaches 1000 degrees Celsius, the internal temperature remains below 180 degrees Celsius for more than an hour, ensuring the documents remain intact and the writing is clearly legible. The most advanced fireproof safes in the world are "disk fireproof safes," which can maintain an internal temperature below 52 degrees Celsius for more than an hour when the outside temperature reaches 1000 degrees Celsius, preventing damage to the disks and preserving the information intact.