Description
A home or business burglary can be devastating. Not only may you lose some of your most important belongs, but you can feel vulnerable. An easy way to find peace of mind and prevent theft is to keep a wall safe in your home or office.
The safest way to store your valuables and important documents is to keep them in your bank’s safe deposit box. But this isn’t always convenient, especially if you want daily access to your important belongings. A wall safe would then be a good investment. Especially since you will be storing some of your most valuable belongings in it.
Wall safes are drilled into your wall, between studs. You can install a wall safe when you are building your home or office, or you can put it in later. Most wall safes come with a flange so that you don’t need to re-plaster the walls. Wall safes can be opened by combination, or electronic lock, depending on the model you choose.
From the manufacturer
PROTEX SAFE CO. PWS-1814E Hidden wall safe
Protex PWS-1814E is burglary resistant wall safe with digital electronic locking system. It can be drilled into the wall, between studs. It comes with a flange so the walls wont need to be re-plastered. This safe is made of heavy-duty gauge steel to secure the valuable belongings like cash, jewelery, checks ,pistol gun, passport and etc. Two removable shelves allows users to adjust the spaces for their needs. This is the perfect wall safe for home, office and hotel. Wall safes can be opened by electronic lock or biometric lock depending on the PWS-1814E you choose.
PROTEX SAFE CO. PWS-1814E Hidden wall safe
What’s included in Accessories box
• Installation Hardware
• One External Charger Unit
• Four AA batteries
• Two Emergency Keys
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Flat DesignIt can be hide in a closet , wall and any other inconspicuous area. 3 Pre-drill anchor holes on each side. |
Large Storage SpaceApproximately 0. 44 cubic feet of storage space. Two removble shelves allows users to adjust the spaces to meet their needs. |
Digital KeypadEasy set up process and no keys are needed when accessing the safe. |
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Dual live motorized chrome bolts (3/4″ dia.)Motorized locking bolt system will open the door automatically |
High-quality velvet-lined interiorTo protect your valuable items to be scratched. |
Friendly PackagingEach unit is packed by EPE form to prevent damage during the transportation |
usage scenario
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Robert S –
Great product, but beware of installation work requiredI just spent the entire day installing this safe and am not quite done with covering all tracks of the construction surgery due to all the suitable wall spaces in my old house having studs at considerably less than standard 16″o.c. distance.That little contretemps aside, this product is first rate. Sturdy, easy to use (and to install, if you live in a modern house), this heavy safe looks and feels sturdy and crowbar-proof, yet has a pleasing interior thanks to a velvety interior cladding. Punch in your personal 4-digit code and the door springs open on its own and illuminates the safe interior through a hidden LED light. The effect is almost magic and very inviting. There is also a 6-digit override code in case you forget the 4-digit code. Both are easy to reprogram from their factory settings. While the locking mechanism requires 4 AA batteries to work, there is a secondary exterior battery compartment that can be used in the unlikely case that the interior batteries run out. You would have to ignore the low-battery warnings or not use the safe for a long time for that to happen. Finally, there is a set of rather odd-looking keys to open the safe the old-fashioned way if all of the above were to fail. My biggest worry at this minute is where to store these keys so I would find and identify them if ever needed, but in a place a burglar would not bother to look… I am thinking my safe at the bank.Now to some practical installation hints, as the instructions are very sparse in this respect. First, you need to find a suitable placement from a comfort point of view. The door hinges are on the right and cannot be switched. The safe requires a rectangular opening in the wall, 18-1/8 by 14-1/8 inches. 14 1/8 inches is the surface-to-surface distance between studs in standard construction, and you *will* need side studs to bolt the safe into.Next, you need to identify where the studs are in your preferred spot. A studfinder works best, but knocking the wall with your knuckles can also work if you have an ear for hollow vs. solid sounds. Once you ascertain the proper space, explore the supposedly hollow space between the two studs for any firebreaks (horizontal spacer studs), again with a studfinder or your knuckles and your ear. If you find one, you will likely want to place the safe immediately above it.Once you have a rough idea of the safe’s location, make a small pilot hole with a drill, then stick a wire (or disassembled coathanger) into it to plumb the depth. The safe requires 3 3/4 ” unobstructed depth, measured from the wall surface facing the room. Assuming all is good so far, draw the outline of the required opening with light pencil on the wall. Next, drill pilot holes at 1 to 2 inches apart along the outline. You want to insure that there are no hidden obstacles anywhere. Small drill holes are a lot easier to patch up then a large hole. The pilot holes will also help you identify the exact location of stud edges and firebreak edge, if any. As you draw the final, verified outline of the opening, make sure that the angles are square! Ideally you have a helper hold the (heavy) safe against the wall you you run a pencil around its outline. A heavy, strong person might be able to do so without help in a pinch.Finally you are ready to cut. For regular sheetrock (gypsum board) used starting in the 1950s, a handsaw is best. Ideally you hold the business end of a household vacuum hose (without attachment) immediately below the saw blade as it works through the sheetrock, as this dust will otherwise have a way of coating every square inch of surface within sight. If, however, you have lath and plaster as I did in my old house, you will need an electric reciprocating saw (“sawz-all”) with a short, “bimetal” blade to cut cleanly through the hard gypsum and the wood slats. Err on the side to make the hole about 1/8″ wider and taller than the outline of the safe. One more hint: Make a 3 x 3 hole in the center first, then peer around inside for any pipes or wires you may have missed. Flexible romex wire may likely and safely fit behind the safe, but pipes my force you to retreat and find an alternate location.Once you are done with the cutting, if you are lucky, the safe will pop in cleanly into your opening. If you are like me and made the opening too tight, you’ll have to cut a little more. With the open safe fitting snug against the wall, mark the 3 drill holes on the left side against the left stud, and repeat the same with the 3 holes against the right stud. Drill holes smaller than the supplied bolts — you can always re-drill with a larger bit if needed. Don’t forget to add the supplied washers as you insert the bolts into the holes you drilled. You will need a socket wrench (I used 17 mm — 5/8 or 11/16 *might* work, also) with a ratchet arm to do these bolts justice. Remove the velvet shelves while you do this.Once you are done and the safe is installed, vacuum it out and paint any damaged wall surface surrounding it though, if you were very careful, that may not be necessary. Enjoy!
Jason Bosh –
Worked fine a couple years and now it does not. No customer support either. Only keys workUseless safe! No customer support! Only key works. Accidentally bumped keypad and code no longer works nor can I close it. Only the key works. Removed valuables and put in $40 lockbox. Will abandon safe when house is sold. Bye bye $200
Kara D –
We’re very happy with the quality of this safeWe’re very happy with the quality of this safe, it feels very sturdy and is very easy to use. The steel is sturdy, and the keypad doesn’t feel cheap at all. The buttons are actually plastic, and don’t feel flimsy or cheap at all. I also like the digital readout of the keypad digits as they’re pressed. The “user code” works like a hotel safe where you enter a code while the door is open then press * to close. The user code will open it the next time, but must be re-entered to close it. It also comes with a “master code” that will always open and close the safe, and it is re-programmable. I read some reviews that the keypad is loud, and I would agree it is moderately loud. Not loud enough to be annoying, but loud enough that anyone could hear it in the house when its dead quiet. I put mine in our master closet, so with my setup, it’s less audible outside of my bedroom.The door actually swings out nicely when you open the lock, about a couple inches. Enough to comfortably grab the door and open it the rest of the way. The felt lined interior is nice, and there’s even a little LED light in there. It’s almost luxurious. Real nice to open and use. I was also surprised how little it comes out of the wall. I didn’t measure, but it can’t be more that 1/4-1/2″. It feels like it’s just part of the wall!Installing this was a bit of a pain, but that’s only because my studs were 16″ apart from the edges, not the center. I had to get a 2×4, cut a 2′ section off, then cut off another 1/4″ to get it to fit in place. Overall, it probably took me 2-3 hours to install, but again that’s because I needed to cut a filler piece. I was also using a hand saw to cut the 2×4 and a utility knife to cut the sheetrock, I’m sure if I used the more appropriate tools it would have taken significantly less time. But if your studs are 16″ on center, its a cinch. Just measure out where you want it on your wall, use a level to draw your lines, cut, insert, drill some pilot holes, then screw it in. If you’re handy at all, I would recommend that you install this yourself and save yourself the $200+ to have amazon get a professional to install it. You’ll probably do a better job anyway.
Amazon Customer –
Heavy duty, Quality, Can disable the Beeping.Received the PWS1814E safe on 3/21/15. Extremely well packaged from the manufacturer. Heavy and solid, thick steel. Easy to setup new codes. Installed it one week later (yesterday). I located an ideal place between the studs in the wall. Cut a 14-1/2″x18/3/8″ opening in the drywall. Fit in snug. Six good, heavy duty, large bolts and washers included. There is a little bit of a curve on the safe where the lip and the edge of the safe meet. In hindsight, I would have beveled the edges of the open I cut in the wall so the lip of the safe fit flat against the wall. Anyway, works like a champ. Something I didn’t know: has a small metal arm inside that pushes the door open slightly when code is entered to open. Also a small light on the door, pointing to the inside of the safe, comes on so you will be able to see the contents in low light. Very easy to install. The only downside to this safe that I found, though very minor, is the “Beeping” when the keys are pressed. This can be easily disabled, though manually, with a soldering iron. The computer board that operates the electronic keypad is under a metal enclosure on the inside of the door. There are 2 screws holding it in place. Simply take the batteries out, remove the 3 screws holding the board to the inside of the door. Locate the speaker on the lower left corner of the board (small, black cylinder). Being careful to touch only the edges of the board, heat the 2 prongs connecting the speaker to the board. This can be a bit tricky, so if you have someone to help, have them pull with speaker with tweezers. You’ll have to work a little bit at a time going back and fourth from one prong to the other (the solder cools very fast). Once removed, put everything back in place. No no more “Beeping”. One last thing. Very minor. I would have liked to have the option to adjust the selves inside. I’ll update as time goes on if I feel there is anything additional that needs to be added.
Amazon Customer –
Excellent safeThis is a very nice safe. Came package very good in near perfect condition. The only thing missing was the little cap that goes over the key hole. Emailed the company and they responded in less than a day and are mailing the cap to us. Very impressive customer service. On one of the reviews it says, ” needed to put a handle on the door to pull it open” That’s not the case. It has a little spring that opens the door about an inch after you press the code in. There is no need for a handle.Very easy to program. The directions could have been a little clearer. For example it says to enter the master code to open for the first time. Since there are no batteries on the inside you can either use the power override battery box or the key. It doesn’t tell you that. To open the safe for the first time I used the key. The key will not work if the safe is lying down. As it says in step #1 “make sure safe is in an upright position, (not laying down)”. It was easy to install. Basically locate your studs cut out the sheet rock or drywall and lag bolt to the studs. The space between the studs is about 3/4″ wider than the safe so I put in a 1/2″ piece of plywood on one stud.Keep in mind when locating your studs to look for possibly electrical wire or plumbing in the wall. For example, if there is an outlet below where you are installing the safe there could be a wire running down the one side of the stud. If not sure, it might be a good idea to cut a little hole in the middle to check that out.We plan on putting a picture over the safe on hinges so we can swing the picture open to open the safe.We’ve been using the safe for about a week with no problems.I would recommend this safe to anyone!
Martin Family –
Rock solid and easy to installI just received this safe and installed it this past weekend. I tried a cheaper safe and was not at all happy with it and returned it. This one is well worth the money. The all parts seem sturdy and well made. The LED light is a nice touch. The keypad with individual buttons rather than a membrane is really nice. And installation was very easy if you have some basic skills. (I didn’t have any complications with odd stud spacing, etc.) Some other posters have talking about building in ledges to level it and beef it up, but that doesn’t seem necessary to me. (And if you make a level cut in the drywall and/or your studs are plumb, that’s a non-issue.) Programming and reprogramming the codes are a snap, and the ability to blank the display so your code isn’t visible is a nice touch. And I really love the fact that there are multiple fail-safes to getting locked out – Multiple codes, external power pack, and when all else fails, physical keys.The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is that the instructions are written poorly. They weren’t quite clear on the operation and I had to make some notes in the margins to adjust. Plus, if you make a 14 x 18 cut as it says, you’ll be sorry and shaving drywall to get it to fit. (To be fair the instructions say to measure the safe prior to cutting, but then why be so precise on the size of the rough opening?) It has a good volume and holds quite a few items we want to secure.All in all, this was a great purchase for us.
Jon –
Great Safe!!I purchased this safe to secure my firearms from the kids! There was enough room inside to store 6 pistols plus mags with room to spare. Installation was a bit challenging because I chose a non-weight bearing wall where the studs are 24″ centers. All I had to do was purchase an 8′ 2×4 and cut 4 18″ pieces 2 for each side. I screwed these in to the wall studs then purchased 4″ lag bolts which I feel gives me a much stronger mount with the extra length. Don’t make the same mistake I did by cutting the hole in the dry wall for a tight fit. I thought if I could just tap it in, it would fit. Instead I cracked the unsupported dry wall and had to do some patch and texture work. Cut your hole a tad larger (duh..common sense..now that I look back) and the lip of the safe will cover it all. I put the safe behind a framed painting but got tired of taking the painting on and off the wall to access the safe. I took the hanging wire off the painting frame and installed a continuous hinge on one side and bolted a rare earth magnet in the center on the opposite side of the frame. The magnet sticks to the frame of the metal safe had secures the painting perfectly! I love the safe but had the same problem another reviewer had with the batteries not working on the inside keypad compartment. I emailed the company and they got right back to me! It was an easy fix, all I had to do was extend the positive side (coil) out just a bit with a small screw driver to contact the battery correctly. The fix worked like a charm and took about a minute to correct. I’m glad I didn’t have to return it because this safe is perfect for me! I also love the LED light that illuminates the inside when the door is opened and the shelves. Don’t hesitate to purchase this if you feel it will meet what you need!
fritz bratwurst –
Solid & SimpleThis is the third Protex wall safe that I have purchased for two different houses. Very discrete, can fit easily in a closet behind hanging clothes or behind a picture. A word of caution on the installation – a new house has studs that are distanced 16 inches between center, leaving ample room for the safe to fit into the space between wall studs. This is because a 2×4 is really 1-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches. This leaves a gap of 14-1/2 inches between the inner edges of the studs. The safe is about 14-1/4 inches wide. But in older houses (mine was built in 1929), a 2×4 stud was really a 2×4, which means that the actual space between studs is only 14 inches. So this time I had to notch cut and chisel out part of a stud to get the safe to fit. Not a big deal, but it is certainly a degree of effort greater than just cutting out the sheetrock.
Kendra –
Doesn’t pop open/have to pry openThis safe is exactly what we wanted it to be, except it is completely obnoxious to get open. You type in the code, and you hear it open, and the door is supposed to spring open a little bit. It doesn’t. So, the safe is unlocked, but there is no handle or anything to grab onto to get it open. My husband has been prying it open with a little thin piece of metal that he had laying around. I thought I could just stick a magnet to it and grab the magnet and pull it open, but magnets aren’t strong enough. I’m going to end up attaching a string or something to the inside of the door so that after I type my code in, I can get the door open without having a nervous breakdown. The safe is already installed in the wall, and we don’t open it often enough to go through the hassle of trying to get another one. So, I’ll just live with pulling a string to get it open.
Larry D. Nail –
*One of Our Best Home Purchases Ever*This is one of our best purchases for our house, ever. If we move, I’m taking it with us. As opposed to putting some kind of cabinet lock on the dresser, this solution was “perfect.” It is a quality product with everything you want but adjustable shelves. The install is already “do it yourself” friendly. I installed it in under an hour. I took my time. An extra pair of hands during install would be nice, but I did without. I installed a firebreak 2×4 at the bottom of my square hole, so the safe sits on solid wood. Slide the safe in, and use a screw gun to put in some small temporary screws while you position the large lag screws later. It goes pretty easily. Press your 4 digit code and it springs open with the timer LED light inside. These are welcome features. If you’re retrieving a handgun at night, it is quickly retrieved with the magazine. At the same time it is safe from curious little hands 24/7. I wouldn’t store the “Hope Diamond” in this thing, but it works great for what it is for passports, papers, handguns, etc. FOR OUR HOME IT WAS PERFECT. You use the backup battery pack to get the safe opened and install the keyboard batteries. The over-ride keys are pick proof, and a nice manual feature when all else fails. Be sure to hide your battery pack and keys. The safe works on two codes that you can program, a daily 4 digit one and a six digit master for just in case you forget the other. It’s well thought out, and really nice looking after installation. YOU CAN PUT A FRAMED PICTURE OVER YOUR INSTALL TO LOWER TEMPTATION.