If you are a novice in dealing with electronics, you might not understand what electrical supply stores have to offer. If you visit a store without a prior understanding of what does what, you will probably be just as lost as if you had never been in such a store. There are some basics to electronics that you should know about so that the next time you visit your electrical supply store you can confidently get what you need and not flood the poor part-time worker with questions.
List of common products electrical supply store:
There are some basic products that most electrical supply stores are selling, the electrical equipment must-have.
- Circuit boards and breakers
- Dimmers, Switches, Outlets & Wallplate
- Basic Lighting Products
- Electrical Testers and Tools
- Wires and cables
- Plugs and connectors
- Power and Extension Cords
- Voltage Monitors and Hour meters
- Wires, Conduit, and whips
- Transformers and Resistors
Some words you should understand:
Here is a list of words that you should understand the meaning of. You can find them at the back of the products you are buying, usually as specifications
- DC Circuit symbol: Direct current is unidirectional. Not used by most electronics today
- AC Circuit symbol: Alternating current changes its direction regularly when used mostly
- Cell: It supplies electrical energy from a large + terminal
- Battery: It is two or more cells joined together
- Fuse: Flows sufficient current as needed for the device
- Transformer: Produces AC power by transferring energy between its coils
- Solar cell: Converts sunlight into electricity
- Earth: The ground or neutral zone providing zero volts to any circuit
- Resistor: Resists the flow of current
- Light-dependent resistor: A sensor that senses light
- Capacitor: Stores energy in the electrical form within it
- Diode: Allows current to flow in one direction
- Motor Changes the energy from electrical to kinetic.
- Transistor: Amplify or switch electronic signals and electrical power
Always ask about the following
Always ask about the warranty for the product you buy. Electronic products are hard to fix on your own. If one part fails, the device stops working. Make sure you are confident about the warranty policy, the replacement policy, and the maintenance policy of the electrical supply store before you make a significant purchase.
Online Electrical Supply Store
You do not have to go to a physical store to get quality products. Due to the miracle of technology, you can have all the items you need with a single touch! But you would be nervous about buying electronics at an online store. What if they delivered a faulty product or what if it got broken during delivery? You have to consider two things:
- Speed: If you are in urgent need of a fuse or a circuit board or a switch plug, you should go to a physical store. You can be sure to check the product before you buy it and it saves you on the time. If you are not in urgent need of the product you are buying, then it is safe to buy online! Most stores deliver in one to five days.
- Return Policy: In case you get unlucky and you do end up with a faulty product, you should be prepared in advance. Read the return policy and the specific return policy of the product. What does the store consider faulty and what does it not? How long do they take to reimburse? Who pays for the returned product’s delivery charges and so on. This will make you a more confident buyer.
After going through this beginners guide, you are now prepared to confidently look up the list of specifications on any product in an electrical supply store and understand all the basic things! Go and buy the new plug that you desperately need for the charger you have broken by playing on your phone while charging.