If you are thinking about getting a safe for your home or business, their are a few factors you need to consider. One such factor is whether or not the safe is burglary rated. A typical burglary rating that you should check for is one issued by Underwriters Laboratories, the TL 30 burglary proof rating.
This rating means the safe has been tested to withstand the attempts of a burglar to open it. The actual test goes like this — A professional locksmith is given a common set of locksmithing tools, including power tools (such as a power drill). The locksmith is then given 30 minutes to try and gain access to the safe. If he is unable to access the safe in the allotted time, then the safe is granted the TL 30 rating.
TL 30 safes are built using special construction methods. They have stronger and thicker walls than a regular safe. Typical TL 30 safes might have a 2″ thick steel wall, which is actually a sandwich-style combination of metals. A typical door thickness for TL 30 safes would be 5″ thick steel. In addition, a steel hard plate, which is a special drill-resistant type of steel, is placed over the locking mechanism so that it cannot be drilled out.
Another construction detail would be the use of 1-1/2″ thick locking bolts used on the locking mechanism. In addition, TL 30 safes would normally use relockers, which are spring loaded mechanisms which “relock” the bolts on the safe when they detect that the safe is being tampered with. Most of these relockers use a glass and spring mechanism. The glass is broken by the attempts to open the safe, and the spring relocks the locking bolt.
You should also look for a safe that is fireproof rated. Typical fireproof ratings include the 1 hour fireproof and the 2 hour fireproof rating. Like the burglary rating, these ratings mean that the safe has been tested under actual fire conditions. In the case of a 1 hour fireproof rating, the safe has been tested to withstand the effects of a 1700 degree F fire for a period of 1 hour, and the temperature inside the safe did not rise above 350 degrees F. This is a low enough temperature to keep from causing permanent damage to the contents of the safe.
In addition, during the test, the humidity inside the safe is measured while the fire is being extinguished with water and chemicals. In order to achieve the 1 hour fireproof rating, the humidity must not rise above 80% at any time during the test. This humidity value is low enough to ensure that there is no damage to the contents of the safe from the water and chemicals used to put out the fire.
Another factor to consider when choosing a burglary rated safe is the type of locking mechanism used by the safe. There are basically three major types used on TL 30 safes — the keylock, combination dial, and electronic. The keylock uses a key to open the safe. This is not very convenient because you have to keep track of the key. The combination dial uses a traditional round combination dial which you use to enter the combination to the safe. The electronic type is the most convenient — you either open the safe by entering a PIN number on an electronic keypad, or you simply scan your index finger on a fingerprint scanner.
As you can see, there are a number of factors to consider when choosing burglary rated TL 30 safes. You should deal with a reputable dealer with some experience in the lock and safe business. Ask them to suggest the best safe for your needs. For more information about TL 30 burglary rate safes, visit the Value Safes website.