How do you protect your equipment against a house fire?


Status
Not open for further replies.

Travelmate

New Member
May 31, 2009
26
0
0
Hi!

Anybody ever thought of protecting your EXPENSIVE equipment investment in the event of a fire in your house?

I myself do own quite a number of elctronic equipment like notebooks, videocams, binos etc and next on the list could be a spotting scope, a dslr camera, a thermal imager etc.

There're are ways like keeping such expensive stuff in a large safe deposit box when not in use but then this would become inconvenient if you're using them regularly. Keeping such stuff in the safe deposit box would be good if you're going on a overseas vacation trip. A safe deposit box allows the prevention from theft and fire since it's guarded and the room itself has no combustible materials.

Alternatively, you can keep such equipment in a DATA safe (not the normal document safe) in your house but it's only good against theft and not against fire. I was informed that the safe is not airtight and the internal maximum temp. of the EAGLE data safe is about 60 deg C. At this temp. the mentioned equipment would be damaged in one way or the other like softening/melting of the plastic components, malfunctioning of the electronic circuitry, distortion of the lens etc.

I know many spent huge amount on camera and accessories and even going to the extent of keeping them in dry boxes but what about against a fire in your house?

Do you insure your expensive equipment?

Would like to have your feedback on this. Thanks

:D
 

Last edited:
Buy insurance...
 

Make you you have fire insurance, property claim, 3rd party claim in case your fire burn other people's house.

At least 1 big and 1 small fire extinguishers at home.
 

IF your have a weather proof camera like E-3, just throw it into your fishtank..
OR if you have waterproof casing, also can throw your set-up into the fish tank. :bsmilie:

*Excuse me for being lame.. :sweat:
 

IF your have a weather proof camera like E-3, just throw it into your fishtank..
OR if you have waterproof casing, also can throw your set-up into the fish tank. :bsmilie:

*Excuse me for being lame.. :sweat:

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 

Place your dry cabinet in the bomb proof shelter(store room) lock the room up :bsmilie:.
It is said to be bomb proof, so fire is chicken feet :think:
 

Place your dry cabinet in the bomb proof shelter(store room) lock the room up :bsmilie:.
It is said to be bomb proof, so fire is chicken feet :think:

Hello, bomb-proof does not means it's airtight hor. So, hot air still can get into that room and spoil the equipment.

Ever wonder what would happen if there's a big fire in the house and people running into the bomb-proof room to take shelter. I think all will be smoked and heated to death.

:bsmilie:
 

IF your have a weather proof camera like E-3, just throw it into your fishtank..
OR if you have waterproof casing, also can throw your set-up into the fish tank. :bsmilie:

*Excuse me for being lame.. :sweat:

As for your case the equipment will be spoilt when the water dries up with a few roasted fish, right? Any more brilliant idea?

:bsmilie:
 

bring it out everyday and don't go back home... so even house on fire your camera would be very very safe still... :D
 

Hello, bomb-proof does not means it's airtight hor. So, hot air still can get into that room and spoil the equipment.

Ever wonder what would happen if there's a big fire in the house and people running into the bomb-proof room to take shelter. I think all will be smoked and heated to death.

:bsmilie:
just a note. bomb shelters in your house are airtight. its to protect the family in case of a gas attack or bomb attack. smoke or gas can't seep into the room, neither can fire. you won't get smoked or heated out lah hahaha. So i guess thats the most safest place to put your cabinet.
 

just a note. bomb shelters in your house are airtight. its to protect the family in case of a gas attack or bomb attack. smoke or gas can't seep into the room, neither can fire. you won't get smoked or heated out lah hahaha. So i guess thats the most safest place to put your cabinet.

If its airtight then a few people inside will used up the oxygen soon enough to cause asphyxiation, right? So, how long do you think the oxygen will last and do you still want to hide in the bomb-proof room and die from asphyxiation? What's the point of you dead and your equipment still remain intact? I wonder what the HDB is building? Don't tell me you'll need to keep oxygen tanks inside the bomb-proof room too.

Coming back to the subject proper. Not ALL HDB blocks have such a bomb-proof airtight room.

Note that mid-range dslr camera with lens, tripod and accessories cost a bomb to invest and plus your other equipment...probably in the range of 10K and above

:bsmilie:
 

Last edited:
Hi!

Anybody ever thought of protecting your EXPENSIVE equipment investment in the event of a fire in your house?

I myself do own quite a number of elctronic equipment like notebooks, videocams, binos etc and next on the list could be a spotting scope, a dslr camera, a thermal imager etc.

There're are ways like keeping such expensive stuff in a large safe deposit box when not in use but then this would become inconvenient if you're using them regularly. Keeping such stuff in the safe deposit box would be good if you're going on a overseas vacation trip. A safe deposit box allows the prevention from theft and fire since it's guarded and the room itself has no combustible materials.

Alternatively, you can keep such equipment in a DATA safe (not the normal document safe) in your house but it's only good against theft and not against fire. I was informed that the safe is not airtight and the internal maximum temp. of the EAGLE data safe is about 60 deg C. At this temp. the mentioned equipment would be damaged in one way or the other like softening/melting of the plastic components, malfunctioning of the electronic circuitry, distortion of the lens etc.

I know many spent huge amount on camera and accessories and even going to the extent of keeping them in dry boxes but what about against a fire in your house?

Do you insure your expensive equipment?

Would like to have your feedback on this. Thanks

:D

Hi Travelmate...Welcome...

Let me share with you my setup for a fireproof room:
(1) Dedicate one room as your equipment room.
(2) Cover up the walls and ceiling with a 24mm thick 2hour FSB fire rated board.
(3) Change your door to a 4hour FSB fire rated.
(4) Flooring should be either be 10mm granite tile or high temperature ceramic tile.
(5) Windows should be removed and sealed up with red bricks.
(6) Install smoke detection together with inergen fire suppression system.

Besides a fireproof room, you need a off-site location like a Bank safe deposit box to store your precious irreplaceable data. Anything else can be replaced and should be covered by insurance.

A fire insurance costing roughly $750 in yearly premium would usually cover all items in your house. I would recommend AIG as your first choice and Great Eastern as the alternative.

The room can then be used as a normal hobby room but only remember to use as little electrical equipment as possible as each is a potential fire starter.

If you live in a HDB flat or condominium, the above setup is out of the question. In that case get a moisture and fire proof data safe as shown below.
burg.png


Whatever type of dwelling you stay in, a fire insurance is still a must.

Hope that helps.
 

in case of fire, put it out first
if cannot put out the fire, get the hell out of there
don't bother about your camera

save lives first


btw your home cost alot more than your camera
and if you get burned, it will also cost alot more than your camera
 

In a full fire, the fish tank glass will shatter. Then the fish will get dried and the E3 casing will deform leaving the frame and glass. :bsmilie:

IF your have a weather proof camera like E-3, just throw it into your fishtank..
OR if you have waterproof casing, also can throw your set-up into the fish tank. :bsmilie:

*Excuse me for being lame.. :sweat:
 

Buy a fire proof safe as a damage control measure in the event of a fire. Manage pure risk by buying a packaged household insurance or better still, a valuable articles insurance plan. You should take care of the exclusion clauses, which renders your claims invalid.
 

In a full fire, the fish tank glass will shatter. Then the fish will get dried and the E3 casing will deform leaving the frame and glass. :bsmilie:
Haha! That was a quick + lame thinking.
But in an event of a big fire, I'll run to stay safe from fire before thinking about my camera. :sweat:
 

Hi hotwork77

What brand of moisture and fire-proof safe is that picture showing? Is it available here? Looks to me like the COBRA safe by Chubb, right?

I thought safes are non-airtight? As such air (with mosture) will get in unless you're keeping your medias in media boxes which are airtight. Medias like flash cards, diskettes, tapes etc are small items so they can be kept in airtight media boxes which in turn can be kept in the safe. But cameras, lens, binos etc are larger items. To keep these items would mean the safe itself must be airtight. Alternatively, you can keep some silica gel in the safe to control the moisture level.

As long as the safe is not airtight then damage to the equipment due to temperature is still there

:eek:
 

Last edited:
Yes, item in a bigger safe box will most likely survive the flame.

Next post will be "how do I keep the RH at 48% in my safe" do I turn to the blue side or the red side. :bsmilie:


......
burg.png


Whatever type of dwelling you stay in, a fire insurance is still a must.

Hope that helps.
 

Status
Not open for further replies.