Today the Phoenix Dream Home Safe is ready for review with another expert assessment.

The Dream from Phoenix has just been launched in 2022 with a new and modern design, along with some excellent features and has been manufactured to a very high standard. The Dream offers a digital electronic lock and has an insurance rating of £1,000 for cash and £10,000 for valuables.

Pros and Cons in Short

Certified by ECB.S class S2 according to EN 14450
Cash rating £1,000 / valuables rating £10,000
Digital electronic lock – Manual override key included
Felt lined soft interior
Available in 3 colours
Can be anchored down
Not fire resistant

Phoenix Dream Safe - Specifications

In total there are 3 different Phoenix Dream safes to choose from, they all have the same specification but just differ in colour.

Model	External Dim. (HxWxD	Internal Dim. (HxWxD)	Weight (kg)	Volume (l)	Shelves	Locking Type
Mint, Blue or Pink	250 x 350 x 250mm	240 x 340 x 190mm	7.5	15.5	1	Electronic

Positives

Design: One of the main stand out features of the Dream safe is the design and colour, it has been designed with a unique colour scheme in mind. The majority of safes on the current market normally are chosen with the colours of Grey, Black or White in the design. The safe door has been laser cut so it gives a rounded and modern curve finish.

Electronic Lock and Override Key: Budget home safes are normally manufactured with just a key lock as standard or at best a basic electronic lock. The Dream provides you with a stylish electronic lock and a manual override key included in the price. This for the price of the safe is a fantastic advantage in comparison to the other competitors around that price point.

Value for Money: The overall value for money of the Dream Home safe is excellent if you take into consideration all of the features mentioned in the above pros list. For the amount being paid for the safe you are being provided with an good quality safe to protect your cash, valuables or documents.

Quality and Features: Along with the design and finish of the Dream, it has a fully lined velvet soft interior and a removable shelf to create extra space when storing cash and valuables. It has internal locking bolts which ensure that extra level of security and it can also be anchored to the base or back wall of the safe if required.

Negatives

Fire Resistance : The main negative with the Phoenix Dream is the safe not having any fire resistance included, but for the price being paid for the safe you wouldn't expect this to be included. So I only feel that this a slight negative that doesn't take away the overall quality and value for money of the safe.

Expert Review - Phoenix Dream Home Safe

The Phoenix Dream review has now been concluded and after taking all things into consideration the Dream is a fantastic safe to keep small amounts of cash and valuables secure in the home or office.

The Dream has 3 unique colours to choose from with a modern and stylish finish. The Dream provides excellent value for money along with a high quality product compared to other competitors.

Price/performance is Excellent.

View the Dream range on Simplysafes

Summer is on its way in the UK - Motorhomes, Caravans and Trailers

It’s time to spring clean your caravan or motorhome

The popularity of caravans and motorhomes continue to increase which is why it is imperative to ensure it is secure when not in use or you are out and about.

It is also as important to protect any valuables that are left within the vehicle.

It is predicted that it will be another boom year for staycations so whether you are opening your existing vehicle or planning to buy a new one, it is critical to invest in the right security products to have peace of mind when away from the vehicle.

Theft is a constant threat and continues be on the increase, especially in the uncertain and challenging times. As fuel prices soar, there has been an increase in the theft of petrol, diesel, and heating oils. It is important to fit deterrents from opportunist thieves or a planned theft.

Best Products and Brands to Buy

Simplysafes offers a full range of security products to protect your motorhome, caravan and trailers. The range comprises of Hitch locks, Wheel clamps and security posts. We have an excellent selection of products available from Autolok, Bulldog and Sentinel.

Our Recommendations

You may have recently purchased a caravan, motorhome or trailer and are now ready to use it over the next few months. Keeping your property secure from thieves is important for your peace of mind and insurance purposes.

Hitch Lock

Our recommended Hitch Lock is the:

Bulldog AA Alko/Albe Hitch Lock

One of our most popular hitch locks from Bulldog, the AA has been designed for use with a wide variety caravans and trailers. It has been tested to the Sold Secure Gold Standard and is insurance approved. For the price it provides excellent value for money and ensures that extra level of security when securing your trailer or caravan.

Insurance approved
5 Year warranty
Supplied with Bulldog Super Lock Bolt including 2 keys
Drill and pick resistant lock
Can be used on various models
Can only be used unhitched

Wheel Clamp

Our recommended Wheel Clamp is the:

Bulldog DC400 Auto Clamp

The DC400 wheel clamp from Bulldog has been designed for use with larger sized wheels that are commonly used on vans and motorhomes. The wheel clamp is fully adjustable, lightweight and easy to fit. It comes with a 5 year warranty and ideal to keep your van or motorhome secure all year round.

5 Year warranty
Insurance approved
Supplied with a Bulldog plunge lock
Top arms are fully adjustable for tyre width and diameter
Simple to use and easy to fit
Not suitable for smaller wheels

Security Post

Our recommended security parking post is the:

Sentinel SS-4 Fold Down Security Post

The SS-4 security post from Sentinel provides that extra security when your car, motorhome or caravan is stored on the driveway. A high quality padlock is provided with 2 keys included, it automatically acts as a visual deterrent to any potential thief. It has been constructed to an good standard and comes supplied with easy to follow installation instructions.

Easy to fold down
Supplied with a high quality stainless steel padlock – 2 keys provided
Installation instructions included
Bright yellow and black vinyl fascia ensures high visibility
Fixing bolts not supplied

Securing your valuables in your motorhomes or caravan?

Now that your caravan or motorhome might be secured with a hitch lock or wheel clamp. It is important not to disregard the security of your cash or valuables. You may be out on a day trip, walk or night out. But you have also left personal belongings in the caravan.

Why not have that extra peace of mind whilst out by purchasing a small home safe to secure cash or valuables?

Please see our top 3 recommendations below -

Burton Primo Home Safe Size 1

Pros & Cons

Digital electronic lock supplied with emergency override key
Cash Rating £1,000 / valuables rating £10,000
Anti-bump solenoid – Prevents the safe from being bumped open
Can be anchored to the base or back wall
Not fire resistant

View the Burton Primo Home Safe Size 1 on our website

Chubbsafes Air 10E Compact Home Safe

Pros & Cons

Beautiful design, good quality
Cash Rating £1,000 / valuables rating £10,000
Robust keyboard
Can be anchored to floor and wall, incl. mounting hardware
Only 1 user code adjustable

View the Chubbsafes Air 10E on our website

Phoenix Vela SS0803E Home Safe

Pros & Cons

Cash Rating £1,000 / valuables rating £10,000
Supplied with an easy to use digital electronic lock
Concealed internal hinges
Carpeted floor
Not fire resistant

View the Phoenix Vela SS0803E Home Safe on our website

Need advice?

If you have any questions on our Autolok, Bulldog or Sentinel range, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

The Fire Hazard of Lithium Ion Batteries

Rechargeable batteries can be found everywhere and make our daily lives a lot easier. Unfortunately, the latest lithium ion batteries are not as harmless as they seem.

What is a lithium battery?

Example lithium battery

Example of the construction of a lithium battery on the inside

A lithium battery is a type of battery that can store much more energy than an ordinary alkaline battery. The lithium battery consists of several cells, each of which consists of a kind of sandwich of materials. The advantage of its extremely high energy density is that a relatively small battery can provide a device with energy for a long time. Compared to alkaline batteries, lithium batteries last on average 7 times (!) longer.

The difference between lithium and li ion

There are two types of lithium battery: the non-rechargeable lithium battery and the rechargeable lithium ion battery (also called li ion). Nowadays a lithium ion battery is used in almost every rechargeable device. Smartphones, laptops, electric toothbrushes. All these devices are equipped with the popular rechargeable Li-ion battery. Even electric cars, ships and e-bikes are equipped with lithium ion batteries.

Extend lithium ion battery life

The life of a lithium ion battery depends on several factors. The average lifespan is estimated at 3 years. A lithium ion battery continuously loses its capacity, even if it is not used. There are a number of circumstances that continuously decrease the capacity of the battery.

For example, the higher the temperature of the battery, the faster the capacity is lost. A fully charged battery also ensures that the capacity decreases faster. Since a lithium ion battery is not cheap to buy, you ideally extend the battery life to the maximum. 4 tips to extend the lifespan:

Store the battery at a temperature below 25°C
Keep the battery charged to a maximum of 80%
Do not discharge the battery below 30% during use
Only use original chargers (no fast chargers)

Are lithium ion batteries dangerous?

Unfortunately, the lithium battery also comes with dangers. It has probably not escaped your notice that there has been a lot of stories about batteries of electric bicycles and smartphones that spontaneously catch fire or even explode. This resulted in electric bicycles catching fire while charging and smartphones exploding in the user's hands.

3 fires from a bicycle battery

Entrepreneurs who sell or rent electric bicycles, drones or IT equipment often charge the batteries at night, so that they are not visible and the batteries remain on the charger for a long time after they have been fully charged. This increases the risk of overheating causing the batteries to catch fire and completely burn down the business premises. In the factory of the e-bike manufacturer Stella, fire broke out no less than 3 times (!) in the space of six months. In all three fires, the cause was a lithium battery of an electric bicycle that overheated.

But even without the electric bicycle battery being connected to the charger, the battery can catch fire and explode. For example, a battery of an electric bicycle in Auke Tweewielers bicycle shop in the Netherlands spontaneously caught fire when no one was present. The bicycle repair shop sustained extensive damage as a result of the fire.

The danger of a lithium battery is that if one of the cells catches fire, the other cells will also catch fire one by one. In addition, the chemical properties of the cell make it extremely difficult to extinguish.

Electric cars with lithium ion batteries

Tesla, BMW, Smart and more car manufacturers produce electric cars that can drive up to 530 km with their large batteries on board without having to recharge in the meantime. The super-powerful lithium-ion batteries are also used here.

Just as with cars that run on petrol or diesel, things sometimes go wrong with electric cars. Due to traffic accidents or other reasons, the cars can catch fire. Compared to traditional cars, electric cars require a completely different extinguishing method.

At the end of March 2019, an electric BMW was extinguished by submerging the car for 24 hours in a large container of water. It was the first time that the fire brigade had an electric car fire under control in this way. This again shows that there is not enough information available about the dangers of lithium batteries and that we need to be extra careful with them.

Fire brigade extinguishes electric BMW

The fire brigade extinguishes an electric car by putting it in a container with water

Extinguishing a lithium ion battery fire

Owning equipment with lithium batteries is therefore not without risks. If a device with a lithium ion battery leaks, becomes excessively hot, smells strongly, produces smoke or produces sparks, it is wrong. If you notice any of the above signals, it is important that you disconnect the device from the charger and move it outside. Be careful not to place the device near combustible materials, then call 999.

Fire extinguisher that is activated If a small lithium ion battery such as a smartphone or power bank is on fire, you can try to extinguish it yourself. Make sure that you do not inhale any hazardous substances and think about your own safety. At the time of writing this article, the fire service is still busy researching the best extinguishing method for lithium batteries. Lithium battery extinguishing agents that are most effective now are the following.

ABC-powder extinguisher
(spray) foam extinguisher
Sand
Water (only if an extremely large amount is available)

After extinguishing, consult the fire brigade to make sure that the appliance is completely extinguished and that there is no longer a risk of catching fire again. To extinguish larger battery fires such as the batteries of electric bicycles, electric scooters and electric cars, it is necessary to call in the fire service. The fire brigade then determines a suitable extinguishing method.

5 tips to prevent lithium ion battery fire

To reduce the risk of one of your devices with a lithium-ion battery catching fire, keep the following in mind.

Replace damaged chargers
Only use chargers, devices and batteries from reputable manufacturers
Immediately remove the batteries from the charger when they are full
Supervise the battery while charging
Do not store batteries in direct sunlight

Tips for entrepreneurs

There are also ways for entrepreneurs dealing with lithium batteries to reduce the risk of fire.

Place a smoke detector near the battery charging point.
Keep the number of batteries in stock to a minimum.
Only charge the batteries if you or your staff can see them or if they are charged in a fireproof cabinet with internal power supply.

Storage of lithium ion batteries in a fire-resistant safety cabinet

As mentioned earlier, it is recommended to charge lithium ion batteries in a specially developed fire-resistant safety cabinet. Different models are available from different brands. The safety cabinets are optionally equipped with an internal (controlled) power supply and are fire-resistant from the inside and out.

The controlled power supply minimizes the risk of overheating. If one of the batteries does catch fire, the safety cabinet is fire resistant, so that the fire is kept in the cabinet. By providing the cabinet with an optional internal extinguishing system and smoke detector, you will be alerted in time and the fire inside the cabinet will be fought in good time.

Please note, safety cabinets are not endlessly fire-resistant. If a fire occurs in such a cabinet, it is important that you take action as quickly as possible by moving the cabinet to a safe place and calling in emergency services to extinguish the fire.

Please contact us to discuss this further with regards to the storage of lithium ion batteries in our own specially designed safety cabinets that we have developed.

UK Flooding Set to Rise - 1 in 6 Properties at Risk - Water Resistant Safes

How at risk is the UK to flooding?

Currently 1 in 6 properties in the UK are at risk of flooding and this is only set to increase due to climate change. Rising sea levels along with heavier rain fall combined doesn't make the situation any easier.

With the winter of 2021 now here, naturally the weather conditions will worsen over the next few months across the UK.

Parts of the UK are already bracing for heavy rainfall and floods such as Cumbria and Scotland.

The loss of precious and valuable items that are unable to be replaced can be devastating such as photographs, children’s favourite toys and antiques.

Flash floods, heavy rainfall and flooding can cause devastating damage to your home or business. The stress and anxiety in dealing with these issues after the flooding has occurred can be emotionally difficult for anyone to deal with.

Flooding can also occur internally in a home or a business with burst pipes or structural issues that may have happened suddenly.

How can floods affect your home or business?

Property Damage
Emotionally
Loss of Life
Local Infrastructure

Health and Safety

Electrical and structural damage
Sanitary risks
Land damage
Plus much more

How does a water resistant safe work?

Each water resistant or waterproof safe is individually tested up to a certain depth and time length during the testing validation process. The safes are submerged into water tanks with regular monitoring within the testing.

After the assessment is complete the manufacturer will then state how long the documents/contents stayed dry for during that period and under what height it was submerged.

ETL Verified Protection

ETL is an independent company that tests and grades each safe that has been provided by the supplier. After the testing has been completed they will give each product a certification mark such as below.

“ETL Verified for X hours of protection within water and up to X centimetres/millimetres of water.”

Are there many options available to purchase?

Water resistant safes are not as common as fireproof safes in the market but there is still a good selection to choose from.

Sentrysafe has been the main provider of water resistant safes over the past few years but Phoenix have now produced their own version recently.

With this is in mind, we have done a short review on the water resistant safes that are available from Phoenix and Sentrysafe.

Products in Review -

Phoenix Titan Aqua

The Titan Aqua from Phoenix is a well designed fireproof safe that offers 60 minutes fire protection along with water resistance of up to 200mm of water for 24 hours. It has been tested against water and it has a good level of protection for 24 hours to protect your cash or valuables.

One of the great features of the Aqua is that it also offers a good cash/valuables insurance rating along with 1 hour fire protection for paper and digital media.

Pros and Cons in Short

Cash Rating £2,000 / valuables rating £20,000
1 hour protection for paper and digital media
Water resistant up to 200mm of water for 24 hours
Supplied with removable shelf
Comes with internal light
Solid boltwork with 25mm diameter steel live locking bolts
Can only be anchored to the base
Not ETL verified

Phoenix Titan Aqua Model Range

In total there are 3 Phoenix Titan Aqua safes which differ in size. They are all water resistant up to 200mm of water for 24 hours.

Fashion model	Fire Resistant	External Dim. (HxWxD	Internal Dim. (HxWxD)	Weight (kg)	Volume (l)
Phoenix Titan Aqua FS1291E Data Safe	1 hour	355 x 470 x 480 mm	220 x 330 x 325 mm	36	24
Phoenix Titan Aqua FS1292E Data Safe	1 hour	460 x 470 x 480 mm	330 x 330 x 325 mm	45	35
Phoenix Titan Aqua FS1293E Data Safe	1 hour	610 x 530 x 480 mm	475 x 385 x 325 mm	62	60

SentrySafe SFW082GTC Data Safe

The SFW082GTC from Sentrysafe is an excellent all round safe that covers most areas such as fire protection, water resistance and cash/valuables insurance rating. The advantage with the Sentrysafe is that it has been verified by ETL independently for fire and water.

The 082GTC can stand in up to 5" of water for up to 24 hours, whilst the 250GPC is 9" and the 123FTC is 8" of water.

Pros and Cons in Short

ETL Verified 60 minutes fire protection for digital media and paper
Interior light included
Water resistant up to 200mm of water for 24 hours
Suitable for floor fixing
Small internal tray included
Cash Rating £1,000 / valuables rating £10,000
ETL Verified water resistance - can stand in up to 5" of water for up to 24 hours
Batteries not included

SentrySafe Model Range

In total there are 3 Sentrysafes which are different in size, they all differ in water resistance as shown below in the table.

Fashion model	Fire Resistant	External Dim. (HxWxD	Internal Dim. (HxWxD)	Weight (kg)	Volume (l)	Water Resistant (24 Hours)
SentrySafe SFW082GTC Data Safe	1 hour	415 x 348 x 491 mm	319 x 244 x 292 mm	35.7	22.79	5 inches
SentrySafe SFW123FTC Data Safe	1 hour	415 x 453 x 491 mm	319 x 349 x 302 mm	38.9	34	8 inches
SentrySafe SFW205GPC Data Safe	1 hour	605 x 472 x 490 mm	498 x 376 x 302 mm	58	57	9 inches

Need advice?

If you have any questions on our Sentrysafes or Phoenix Aqua range, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

Fashion model	Fire Resistant	External Dim. (HxWxD	Internal Dim. (HxWxD)	Weight (kg)	Volume (l)
SentrySafe 1210 Fireproof Fire Chest	1/2 hour	155 x 362 x 284 mm	89 x 305 x 191 mm	6	5.2
SentrySafe CHW20101 Fireproof Chest	1/2 hour	168 x 391 x 363 mm	112 x 325 x 216 mm	9.1	7.9
SentrySafe FHW40100 Fireproof Chest	1 hour	359 x 421 x 351 mm	295 x 305 x 206 mm	20	18.6

Expert Review - SentrySafe FHW40100 Fireproof Chest

Pros and Cons in Short

Sentrysafe Fire Resistant Boxes

Positives

Negatives

Expert Review - Sentrysafe FHW40100

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