American Security (AMSEC) Home Safe - 3.64 cu ft Interior, keypad lock, AM3020PLUS

American Security AM3020 Plus - External Dimensions - 30"H × 20"W × 20"D - 230lbs

A white home safe with a quilted faux-leather interior and a motion-sensor light inside. It holds a little over three and a half cubic feet behind a 45-minute fire rating, certified by ETL, and at 30 inches high it sits comfortably in a dressing room, a closet or a built-in.

Behind the finish it is a working safe, built by American Security (AMSEC): a 12-gauge steel body lined with fire-rated drywall, a quarter-inch steel door plate, and five chrome-plated 1.25-inch bolts on three sides. A heat-activated seal around the door swells in a fire to keep out heat and smoke.

What it holds

Room for the deeds and wills in their box files, a jewelry case on the lit shelf above, and the spare car key that is never where it should be.

Specifications

Interior

27.25"H × 16.5"W × 14"D

Interior volume, calculated: 3.64 cu ft

Two adjustable shelves

Interior finish: quilted faux leather, double-stitched

Lighting: motion-sensor interior light

Exterior & siting

30"H × 20"W × 20"D — 22" deep including the handle

230 lbs

Anchoring: four pre-drilled anchor holes in the base

Security

Lock: electronic, backlit keypad. American Security's listing names both the ESL5 and the ESL10; ask us and we'll confirm which ships.

Locking bolts: five 1.25" chrome-plated steel bolts, three-way boltwork

Door assembly thickness: 0.25" solid steel plate; overall door thickness not stated by the manufacturer

Wall thickness: 12-gauge steel body lined with fire-rated drywall

California DOJ approved, per American Security

Handle: L-handle

Fire, water & media

Fire rating: 45 minutes at 1200°F, ETL certified

Door seal: Palusol heat-activated seal against heat and smoke

Media / data rating: Not a media safe.

Water rating: None claimed.

The rest

Warranty: one year, parts and labor

Manufacturer part number: AM3020 Plus (AM3020PLUS)

Finish: semi-gloss white

The fire rating

ETL is an independent testing laboratory, so the rating comes from outside American Security's own factory. The 1200°F figure is the furnace temperature outside the safe; the rating is a promise that paper inside survives 45 minutes of it.

The Palusol seal around the door is the part you never see. In ordinary use it is a thin strip. In a fire it expands to close the gap between door and frame, which is where smoke and heat would otherwise find their way in.

Delivery and Siting

At 230 lbs it travels by freight and is delivered to the curb by a liftgate truck. This service is free. The carrier will call ahead to arrange a delivery window, so someone will need to be home. The driver lowers it by liftgate to your curb or the end of your driveway. Freight drivers don't bring deliveries inside, up steps or into the garage.

Two or three people with a stair-climbing appliance dolly can bring it indoors, or a local safe mover can do it for you.

From there it takes two people and a stair-climbing hand truck to bring it in. At 20 inches wide it clears any standard doorway, and the white finish is meant to be seen, so it can live in a dressing room rather than a garage. Bolt it down through the four holes in the base once it is in place.

If you'd like it brought inside and positioned, contact us after you order and we'll help you arrange it with a safe mover near you. That service is priced separately.

What this is not

It is not a media safe. The rating protects paper. Hard drives, USB sticks, discs and film need an interior kept below 125°F, and this safe makes no such claim.

It is not water rated. No claim is made. A house fire usually brings a great deal of water from the hoses, so keep papers in sealed bags inside if that matters to you.

It is not a long-gun safe. The interior is 27.25 inches tall, too short for a rifle or shotgun.

It is not a UL burglary-rated safe. No burglary listing is claimed. Its California DOJ approval is a construction standard for home safes, not a burglary rating. Steel, bolts on three sides and an anchored base make it slow work for a thief, but it is a home safe, not a commercial one.

On the maker

American Security make safes in Fontana, California, from small home units through to high-security commercial safes. The AM series is their home range, and the Plus is the version dressed for the inside of the house. If you need a figure we haven't listed, ask us and we'll put the question to American Security.

Questions

Will it fit through my door?

Yes. It's 20 inches wide, against 30 to 32 inches for a typical interior door. Allow 22 inches of depth with the handle.

How is the light powered?

American Security describe it only as motion-sensor lighting. Ask us and we'll find out for you.

Is the fire rating independent?

Yes. It is ETL certified to 1200°F for 45 minutes.

Will it protect hard drives or USB sticks in a fire?

No. It's rated for paper. Digital media needs a safe rated to keep its interior below 125°F.

Does it need bolting down?

We'd recommend it. There are four pre-drilled anchor holes in the base.