FAQ
1) How do I find the Serial Number on my filing cabinet?
2) How do I find the Serial Number on my safe or media cabinet?
3) What does it mean to be impact and explosion tested?
4) To what temperature are fire safes, filing cabinets, and media or data cabinet tested?
General FAQ's
How long will it take to get a file or safe once I place an order?
2) Are all fire safe filing cabinets alike?
3) Why do I need a special product for computer media? Don't fire files and safes protect everything from a fire disaster?
4) Why do I need a fire safe file from Schwab Corp? My standard
files are metal - they won't burn.
5) Does
the Fire resistant insulation ever lose it's effectiveness?
6) Are these products theft or security rated?
7) What is the benefit of a product rated UL Class 350 or 125 when most fires exceed temperatures of 350 degrees F or 125 degrees F?
8) How adequate is a fire safe product rated for one hour during a fire?
9) Why should I buy records protection products? After all I'm insured.
10) After a fire, how long should I wait to open the fire safe filing cabinet or safe?
11) Can I reuse the Schwab Safe or Schwab Filing Cabinet after a fire?
12) Are these products waterproof or water resistant?
13) Are Schwab safes and filing cabinets considered to be fireproof and waterproof?
How
long will it take to get a file or safe once I place an
order?
Answer: We maintain a quick ship program
for our most popular models and colors which can be shipped the next
business day. Typically, non quick ship models ship in 10 to 15 business days.
2) Are
all fire safe filing cabinets alike?
Answer: No, there are a lot of differences.
The Schwab design is recognized as being superior in appearance, security
and fire protection. At Schwab every file drawer is completely insulated,
making each one independently fire resistant. If a drawer is accidentally
left open and fire strikes, this feature will halt the spread of fire
throughout the entire file. The Schwab files also have an inner-steel
drawer jacket that prevents entry into a locked drawer from an unlocked
compartment. It also keeps insulation dust from contaminating your files.
One of the biggest differences in a Schwab file compared to others is
Insulite™, the most effective insulation in the industry. Insulite
provides maximum protection with thinner walls and less weight than
competitors' insulation. Because Insulite does not contain free water
it will not dry out and lose its ability to provide fire protection
over a period of time as compared to competitor’s files utilizing
gypsum as an insulating material. Gypsum being the same material as
that used in drywall, makes
it vulnerable to water and decomposition.
3) Why
do I need a special product for computer media? Don't
fire files and safes protect everything from a fire
disaster?
Answer: Fire resistant files and safes are available
with different ratings, because paper and media require
different levels
of protection. During a fire, paper is more durable than media
and can tolerate a wide range of humidity levels and
heat up to approximately
400°F before igniting. Media such as diskettes, CDs, and tapes cannot
survive either the higher temperature or the humidity levels found in
the paper rated products. They must be stored in an environment that
will stay below 125°F and 80% humidity in order to be protected.
Schwab media products are designed to meet these strict requirements.
4) Why
do I need a fire safe file from
Schwab Corp? My standard files
are metal - they won't burn.
Answer: Standard metal files may not burn, but they
will directly conduct the fire's heat inside, where your records will
ignite and burn. In a sense, your metal files become incinerators.
5) Does
the Fire resistant insulation ever lose it's
effectiveness?
Answer: Only Schwab's unique, chemically dry insulation will maintain its effectiveness
over time, since it has no free water to evaporate.
Upon heat the Insulite
material goes through a reaction that generates moisture.
Some of our competitor’s insulation loses its effectiveness over time. All
insulation designated as "wet", "oven-baked" or "oven-dried" loses
its free water over time, thereby compromising its fire-resistant
capabilities.
6) Are
these products theft or security rated?
Answer: Most Fire resistant products generally
use relatively light weight steel, which
in turn prevents the products from
attaining a security rating. However, Schwab’s
unparalleled seamless outer wrapper, sealed back
panel, and inner steel drawer vault, is the
only design that makes forced entry impossible to
conceal. Security locks are also useful if you want
to prevent someone from breaking into
your file or safe without leaving obvious physical
proof. We offer various Locking Options to increase
security.
7) What
is the benefit of a product rated
UL Class 350 or 125 when most fires
exceed temperatures
of 350 degrees F or 125 degrees
F?
Answer: The Underwriter's Laboratories class
rating signifies the maximum internal
temperature allowed during the fire
test. Depending on the length of
the UL fire test, the external
temperature to which the product is subjected
will range from 1550°F
to 2000°F; yet the internal temperatures
cannot exceed 350°F or 125°F- for paper
or computer media, respectively.
8) How
adequate is a fire safe product
rated for one
hour during a fire?
Answer: A typical fire burns at around 800°F.
As it passes through the building, the fire's intensity changes as flammable
items are consumed. Fires usually average only 20 minutes in any location.
This intense burn is comparable to the burn portion of the UL test.
After the flammable items are consumed in the fire, the overall temperature
decreases, leaving items inside the fire to absorb the radiant heat.
This part of the fire is comparable to the cool down portion of the
UL test. Depending on the product being tested, the cool down portion
of the test can last as long as 15-25 hours, during which the internal
temperature and humidity levels cannot exceed the standards set forth
by the test. Most products that fail the UL test fail during this cool
down period. Be wary of marketing hype that says "tested to UL standards" -
tested doesn't necessarily mean the product
passed the test. A one-hour rating means
the product will also survive the cool down
period.
9) Why
should I buy records protection products? After
all I'm
insured.
Answer: Insurance can and will only cover the portion
of your losses that can be documented. Some records may be priceless
to your family, or imperative to the survival of your business, and
not easily reconstructed no matter what dollar amount insurance may
award you. Real insurance is the use of protection products that will
preserve rather than replace those valuable family keepsakes or business
records.
10) After
a fire, how long should I wait to open the fire safe
filing cabinet or safe?
Answer: For maximum protection, please allow the
file or safe to cool completely, where you can comfortably rest your
hand on the product before opening. Artificially cooling the outside
by pouring water on the product will cool the surface temperature, but
may give a false impression of how cool the insides are, so use extreme
caution!
11) Can
I reuse the Schwab Safe or Schwab Filing Cabinet
after a fire?
Answer: Once the product has been exposed to fire,
the insulation loses its protectiveness. There is no way to re-insulate
the product, and it should be discarded. If you are the original owner
of a Schwab file, record/media cabinet or safe, and have registered
the product with Schwab Corp., you may be entitled to a free product
replacement under our Limited Lifetime Replacement Warranty. Contact
your Schwab representative for further information.
12) Are
these products waterproof or water resistant?
Answer: No, water resistance can be a concern.
When a file is in a fire there is a positive
pressure on the inside of the
file along with the expansion
that tends to keep water out. This is
true of all makes of fire files. It is when there is no fire that a
file is vulnerable to water intrusion. However,
only Schwab's
design with a superior combination
of seamless outer wrapper, sealed back panel,
interlocking drawer joints and inner steel drawer
vault
help aid in preventing the
entry of water. Schwab's Insulite™ insulation
is cleaner and lighter weight than that used
by competitors because it contains no free water
and conversely, does not absorb water.
Schwab Corp. is the first and only fire protection product manufacturer
to further address the issue of water protection when fire is not present.
We have developed and have released a revolutionary design
to the industry, Trident™, which is the Next Logical
Step™in water
resistance. Please revisit our New
Products page
soon for further details.
13) Are Schwab
safes and filing cabinets considered to be fireproof
and waterproof?
Answer: The actual UL classification is for fire
resistance. Virtually no product on the market has been tested and proven
to survive against every possible fire, so Underwriter's Laboratories has devised a rating system to determine a products ability to withstand
fires of specific temperatures and lengths and will only issue certification
based on a product's proven ability to meet or exceed these standards.
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