Customer Reviews

Honeywell Fire and Water Chest

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

I wouldn't even give this item ONE star. After putting my important documents in the safe, (birth certificate, passport, pictures of deceased relatives WHICH CANNOT BE REPLACED), I opened it a couple of months later to find ALL of my documents WET AND COVERED IN BROWN MOLD. My closet is completely dry, so I was dumbfounded and called the manufacturer. They told me that this is a KNOWN PROBLEM, and offered to mail me some dessicant packets to keep the moisture out. They said that condensation WILL DEVELOP in the item and recommended that I open it up once a month, "to make sure that it is working properly". To say that I am irate is a major understatement--I have lost valuable items to me that cannot be replaced. I have filed a complaint with Underwriter's Laboratory and am filing a complaint with the BBB. I would NOT RECOMMEND this product to anyone..even if the product could survive a fire, and who knows if it can, your items would be ruined from condensation and mold. This poduct sucks and I will tell everyone that I can how bad it is.

The inside of this box was damp on arrival, though I purchased it new. After letting it air out for a week before using it, I put my important documents in it. When I needed them again, after several months, they were all covered in brown mold! The mold stained several of my important pieces of paper, including my passport and birth certificate.

Also, the locking unit may be made of plastic, which would not hold up in a fire of course. It could be, though, just the facade of the lock that is plastic. I can't say for sure, but keep it in mind.

The mold/dampness issue alone warrants my low rating.

As many other reviews have stated, this box has a problem with dampness. Within a few days of being in the box all my documents had gotten damp, and unsealed envelopes had gotten moist and sealed themselves. I tried adding additional desiccant packs, but that didn't help. I called Honeywell and they said they were aware of the problem and they recommended opening the box up and airing it out at least once a month, which just wasn't convenient for me. I had the box stored in a closet, which Honeywell said is known to increase the problem, but as it's a rather large box there aren't a lot of places it fits conveniently in my small apartment. I returned the box to Amazon. The inside storage space was sufficient, though the box itself is rather large. The lock mechanism seemed fine, but I don't think the box is built for high security - more for fire resistance.

There's a good amount of heft to this safe, which leads me to think it would hold up fairly well in the event of fire. Luckily, I have not had to test it's durability in fire or waterproofness (and hope I never will).

There's plenty of room for several important documents and a handful of jewelry. At about 20 lbs it's not something you'd want to move around all the time.

Received this safe today and it is heavy. I bought this safe to keep my valuables safe in event of a fire and water. I didn't buy it to keep them safe from thieves or the hands of intruders. But on close inspection, I've noticed that the latch to close it is plastic. So it made me think, will in stay shut in an event of a fire? Let's hope it doesn't get put to the test. Overall I'm keeping it (too damn heavy to return). Enough room in there to keep your valuables and 11x8 documents. I guess if you purchase safe it'll be put to test only once, let's hope it holds up as stated.

The box itself is strong and meets my goal of safety from fire. The lock looks flimsy, the keys look like part of a child's toy, the plastic looks like it could melt in a fire, leaving you with a solid and secure box, with no way of entry.

The lock fell out and broke on this after less than a month. It was cheap plastic and not worth getting at all.

I purchased this item on Amazon last year for $34. I thought that the "Water" portion of the product description would save my important items from moisture. INCORRECT. I opened it recently to dig out some certificates and this disgusting brown mold was on every piece of paper. Nearly brought me to tears since most of the items are not replaceable. After cleaning everything and giving the chest a good lysol wipe down and thoroughly drying it I wanted to give it another test. Perhaps I should keep everything in ziploc baggies inside the chest. I put some crisp dry cash in a slide ziploc baggie (and no it wasn't a freezer safe bag...maybe that should be the next test) and shut the chest, locked it up so there would be a good seal. That should protect it. WRONG. After a couple of days I went to check on my cash. Damp, very damp. }:-( Great so I have a safe that actually does the opposite of protecting my important things, it ruins them even through ziploc baggies. Waterproof/safe? NO WAY. DO NOT BUY this safe, unless you like mold.

This is a terrible product. Despite putting a dessicant in with my passport and other documents, when I opened the box a few months later they were all COVERED with mold. I live in a dry climate and the box was stored in a dry area (not a damp basement), so how the mold formed is beyond me. But it happened, and it looks like it happened to many other people.

Additionally, the locking mechanism is plastic, giving it a very short lifespan in a fire.

Considering how much mold was on the inside of this box, I laugh thinking how it would hold up in a flood.

I encourage you to spend your money on a better product; this one is too much of a risk.

I bought this safe in Feb 2009 and placed all my important documents in this safe -- I opened it today to see brown mold on everything and everything is wet. It is past the return time to Amazon for this safe -- which is not fair -- since I didn't know everything would be moldy after a few months. Do not buy this safe!