Safe lock help · Sentry Safe
Safe lock troubleshooting › Sentry Safe › Sentry fire and water safe, keypad with a P key (SFW, FP, FPW)
Many SentrySafe fire and water safes (the SFW series, and the FP and FPW models) use a round digital keypad with a P (program) key and a C (clear) key and a 5-digit code. This guide covers how to open the safe, add or change your user code, replace the batteries (they are different on the SFW and the FP/FPW), open a safe whose battery is dead, and what the lights mean. Sentry makes dozens of safes: if yours has a touch-to-wake keypad with a PROG key, see the Sentry alarm-safe guide.
- How to open
- Battery
- Change your code
- Lights
- Lockout
- Interior light and keypad sound
- Troubleshooting
- Manuals
Want the whole manual? Jump to the manufacturer download links.
Is this your lock?
- A round digital keypad on a SentrySafe fire or fire-and-water safe, with the numbers 0 to 9 and a P key (program) and a C key (clear).
- Older SF models (SF082CS, SF123ES, SF205CV) and the STW models (for example STW082GTCML) have the same keypad and the same steps as the SFW below.
- SFW models (for example SFW082ESB): the keypad is at the end of the handle, and the batteries are in a drawer on the side of the keypad: 4 AAA. You turn the handle downward to open.
- FP and FPW models (for example FPW082E): the batteries are in a compartment inside the door: 2 CR123 lithium. You pull the handle outward to open.
- Look for the model number on the label inside the door or on the back of the safe. Sentry’s manual for these keypads is part number P44621 (SFW) or P71885 (FP and FPW).
- Not this keypad? A keypad that wakes when you touch it and has a PROG key is on Sentry’s alarm safes. An older fire safe with a Prog or Prog/Enter key and 4 AA batteries behind the lock case is another older Sentry lock. Call us if you are not sure.
How to open it
- Enter your 5-digit code (the factory code is printed on the back of your owner’s manual, or you may have set a user code).
- The green light comes on. On an SFW you have 4 seconds to turn the handle downward. On an FP or FPW you have 5 seconds to pull the handle outward.
- Open the door.
- You may need to lift the handle while you enter the code on an SFW, and then pull it down.
- If you push on the handle too hard, you may hear a click and the handle moves without moving the bolts. That is normal: it protects the bolts. Push the handle the other way (up) until it clicks back, and try again.
- Locking: close the door and put the handle all the way up to the horizontal position. On an FP or FPW, close the door and wait 5 seconds, then check that it will not open without a code.
- Dual key models: if your safe has a key lock on the door, the key is a secondary lock and not an override key on the SFW. It has to be in the unlocked position to open the safe.
- Delay mode: after 3 wrong codes in a row, the red LED blinks and the safe shuts down for 2 minutes. Do not take the batteries out to restart it, because that makes the wait longer.
How to change the battery
Use new alkaline batteries on the SFW (we recommend Procell) and new CR123 lithium batteries on the FP and FPW. Do not use rechargeable batteries, and do not mix old and new ones. A yellow light means the battery is low or is the wrong type. Sentry says to check the batteries first when a safe stops working.
SFW: 4 AAA batteries in the side drawer
- Slide out the battery drawer on the side of the keypad.
- Put in 4 AAA alkaline batteries, all new.
- Slide the drawer back into the keypad until it is in place.
- Open the safe with your code to test it (with the door open).
FP and FPW: 2 CR123 lithium batteries inside the door
- Open the safe, and find the battery pack compartment on the inside of the door. Take off the cover.
- Put in two CR123 lithium batteries, both new.
- Put the cover back on.
- Test the code with the door open.
- Dead battery on an FP or FPW: use the 9-volt backup. Open the silicone cap on the side of the lock, pull out the wire inside, and attach a 9-volt battery. Then enter your 5-digit code and pull the handle outward. Sentry says this is not meant to be the way you normally open the safe: change the batteries right after. Safes with an override key can also be opened with the key.
- Dead battery on an SFW: Sentry’s manual does not give a 9-volt backup for these. Replace the batteries (they are in the drawer on the outside of the keypad), or call us if that does not work.
How to change your code
Do this with the safe door OPEN.
Test your new code several times before you put anything in the safe and close the door. You must know the factory code (on the back of the owner’s manual) to set a user code. If you do not have it, use Sentry’s lost-combination service (see below), or call us.
- Press P.
- Enter the 5-digit factory code from the back of your owner’s manual.
- The light flashes green. You then have 5 seconds to enter your own 5-digit user code.
- Test the new code several times with the door open.
- Delete the user code: press P, enter the factory code, then enter 00000. The lock does not tell you it was deleted, so test the code to be sure.
- Secondary code: press P two times, enter the user code, and then (within 5 seconds, when the light flashes green) enter a second 5-digit code. To delete it, press P two times, enter the user code, then 00000. You can only add a secondary code after a user code is set.
- How many codes? An SFW holds the factory code, one user code and one secondary code (3 in all). An FP or FPW holds the factory code, one user code and up to 3 secondary codes (5 in all). On an FP or FPW the secondary codes are deleted in the order they were programmed.
- The C key clears what you have typed and returns the keypad to standby (unless it is in delay mode).
- Lost the factory code? SentrySafe can look it up from your model and serial number on its Lost Key or Combo page.
What the lights and beeps mean
| What you see and hear | What it means and what to do |
|---|---|
| Green light | The code was right. Turn or pull the handle now (4 seconds on an SFW, 5 seconds on an FP or FPW). |
| Red light blinks 3 times, 3 beeps | Wrong code. Check the code and enter it again. If your own code will not work, try the factory code, and then program your own code again. |
| Red light blinks once, 1 beep | The P key was pressed out of order, or 5 seconds went by between key presses. Start over. |
| Red light blinks 5 times, 5 beeps | Keypad communication error. Call Sentry customer service, or call us. |
| Red light keeps blinking | Delay mode: 3 wrong codes in a row. Wait 2 minutes and start over. |
| Yellow light on | The battery is low, or it is the wrong type. Replace it with new alkaline batteries (SFW) or new CR123 lithium batteries (FP and FPW). |
Wrong codes
Three wrong codes in a row put the safe in delay mode: the red LED blinks and the keypad shuts down for 2 minutes. Wait the 2 minutes. Taking the batteries out does not restart it and only makes the wait longer.
Interior light and keypad sound
If your safe has an interior light, it comes on each time you enter your code and stays on for 30 seconds. It uses the same batteries as the keypad: if the light does not come on, change the batteries. To set the light: press 0, P, then 3 (off), 4 (30 seconds) or 5 (60 seconds). A 60-second light drains the batteries faster.
The keypad sound can be turned off and on: press 0, P, then a number. On an SFW, 2 turns the sound off and 1 turns it on. On an FP or FPW, Sentry’s manual shows the numbers the other way around: 1 turns it off and 2 turns it on. Test it to be sure.
If it still won’t open
The keypad does not light up or do anything
Change the batteries with new ones (4 AAA alkaline on an SFW, 2 CR123 lithium on an FP or FPW). On an FP or FPW you can also use the 9-volt backup, or the override key on models that have one.
The code is right but the door will not open
Check that you are turning or pulling the handle within the time (4 seconds on an SFW, 5 on an FP or FPW). Lift the handle while you enter the code on an SFW. If the handle clicks and the bolts do not move, push it the other way until it clicks back. A water-resistant door can be tight at first. If the shipping screw (a screw on the back inside of the door) is still in, take it out.
The yellow light is on
That is the low battery light. Replace the batteries.
I lost the factory code or the safe key
SentrySafe can send it to you if you give them the model and serial number. Their Lost Key or Combo page has the request form. Call us if you need the safe opened.
Download the full manufacturer instructions
This page is a quick-reference summary. For every feature and diagram, use the official manual for your model:
- SentrySafe owner’s manual P44621 (SFW series, programmable electronic lock)Sentry’s manual for the SFW082 and SFW123 safes. Linked from SentrySafe.com’s Product Manuals page.
- SentrySafe owner’s manuals for the older SF models (514443, 518792) and the STW models (P74055)The SF and STW manuals use the same steps as P44621.
- SentrySafe owner’s manual P71885 (FP and FPW fire safes)Sentry’s manual for the FP and FPW safes. Linked from SentrySafe.com’s Product Manuals page.
- SentrySafe Product Manuals (find your model)Type in your model number to get your own manual.
- SentrySafe Lost Key or ComboOrder a replacement key or request your factory code.
Need a hand?
Still stuck? We can help.
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Steve’s Lock, Safe and Alarm · 3401 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
More lock guides
About this guide. This is an independent guide from Steve’s Lock, Safe and Alarm, a safe and lock dealer. Brand and model names belong to their owners and are used only to help you identify your lock. We are not affiliated with the manufacturers. These steps summarize the manufacturers’ own instructions; your lock may be a different version, so if anything here does not match what your lock does, follow your manual or call us. Always change codes with the safe door open, and test the new code several times before you close the door.
Steps last checked against the manufacturer documents on October 19, 2026.