Honeywell 1108 1 Hour Fire/Water Large File Chest
Honeywell 1108 security chest is designed to protect your documents from water and fire. It features a storage capacity of 1.06 cubic feet and can withstand a fire of up to 1700F for one hour.
The waterproof seal will prevent any interior water damage and can withstand 48 hours of being in up to 39 inches of water. This fire safe for documents is large enough to store any legal letters and A4 Size Hanging File Folders.
Features and Design
Firstly, I need to mention that this is not a high security chest safe and was no designed to be so. It is a fireproof box for documents and does not have the necessary materials to make it tough enough to withstand an attack from a burglar. However, it has the perfect design and materials to make it a quality mid-range document fire and water safe and that is exactly what it is. Of course there are a few areas that may need improving but overall this will do a great job of keeping fire and water out.
Basically if files are what you need to protect, and want to have easy access to them while keeping everything organized, this is a pretty good choice of safe. It is a practical, functional option compared to a standard 1-hour safe with a front swinging door.
Honeywell 1108 is a solid and quite heavy fire chest that is well made and neither looks cheap, nor flashy. It is a good size at 13.4″H x 20.1″Wx 16.9″D so it’s not something you can leave sitting on a shelf at home but can easily be blended into its surroundings if you wanted to keep curious eyes off it.
Its interior dimensions are 10.2″H x 14.8″W x 12″D and could easily accommodate at least 25 moderately filled legal size hanging folders. There is also the option not to use hanging files which will allow for more document storage or storage of other small items such as jewelry.
Opening and closing the safe is a very smooth and simple process. The lid has silent pneumatic lifts that slowly lower it for the last couple of inches, preventing it from slamming shut. This document safe is opened and locked using a key that is provided with the safe.
To open the safe you need to turn the key clockwise and then unlock the two lock latches on either side of the front of the safe. These latches are supposed to be there for additional water protection by pulling the lid down tight when latched. Unfortunately the latches are one of the main areas that need improving on the safe. They do pull the lid down and latch tight…but they seem to be made of cheap plastic making one wonder how long they will last after continuous use.
Another gripe would be that the key cannot be removed when the safe is unlocked. Therefore you can’t just leave it unlocked and then open and close it with the side tabs – the key will be hanging out. Not a major issue but certainly something that could be improved.
It locks using the key and is not difficult to lock and unlock but you need to make sure you read the instructions that warns about not turning the key while only half-inserted. Make sure to push the key right in before turning.
Security
The Honeywell 1108 document safe has been tested for 1-hour fire safety and can withstand a fire for up to 1700F / 927C. The waterproof seal around the inside of the lid provides up to 48 hours waterproofing protection in 39 Inch/ 1m Depth water.
Due to the waterproofing feature the safe has no available bolt down options however it is quite a heavy safe making it harder for a burglar to walk away with. An alternative too bolting the safe to the floor would be to use a secure cable to latch it to a permanent surface. Safe security cables are very commonly used with smaller safes and are not as easy to cut as you may think.
This fireproof safe does have two handles at either side of the base of the chest however due its chunky size it is actually easier to just lift from the handles and then slide your hands under the safe to carry it that way.
Regardless of what safe you use if you plan on storing paperwork you will need to keep the moisture away because there is always some moisture buildup in safes.
This is very easily tackled by putting a desiccant bag into the safe. There are a number of different types available but not something you need to worry too much about because a very large 50 gram silica gel pack comes with this Honeywell 1108 safe. Place the gel pack at the bottom of the safe below your documents to keep them mold free.
Things to consider
The Honeywell 1108 1 Hour Fire/Water Large File Chest would be a good choice for anyone who takes their document organization seriously and wants peace of mind that in the event of a fire the contents will be safe.
However this is not just a good document safe. Due to its fire safe and water safe features it would also be a great place to store other small items such as jewelry, watches, keys, etc. It has just the right interior size for storing a number of different small items and its exterior is not so big that you couldn’t place it at the bottom of a cupboard.
Yes there are a few little things about the safe that can be improved but they in no way have affected the usability of the safe. For its low price you could do a lot worse than this fire chest which has been specifically designed with document storage in mind.
PROS:
- Competitive price.
- Comes with a very large silica gel desiccant packet.
- Fits hanging file document folders and tabs with room to spare.
- Can be used to store other small items such as jewelry.
- Has silent pneumatic hinges to prevent the lid from slamming shut.
CONS:
- The lid latches feel cheap.
- The handles at the bottom of the safe could be bigger.
Download the Honeywell 1108 PDF manual
