Electrical supplies are used in almost every commercial project. These products must be purchased by the hundreds, thousands, or even millions at a time, so it is important to make sure you are ordering the right kind of supply for your needs. Below is a list of seven common types of electrical supplies that can help take your next project from start to finish.
1) Wire
The two most common types of wire are electric cord and lamp cord, or extension cords. Electric cords can generally be covered by an 18-gauge to 22-gauge thickness, whereas lamp cord is usually made of 12 to 16-gauge thickness. Sometimes, the wire you are working with may have multiple internal cords wrapped in one external layer. These are called "multi-cord" or "stranded wire."
2) Cable
The two main cable types include Romex and BX (or "armored cable"). Romex is a heavy-duty electrical wire, usually made with a steel core. BX is a type of cable used in commercial projects when the circuit wires need to be run through a metal conduit.
3) Fuse
For electricity to run throughout your project, you need an outlet or switch at the end of every wire. If there becomes a problem with electricity in a certain outlet, a fuse will prevent the problem from continuing to the next outlet by "blowing" and stopping the circuit.
4) Fixture
A fixture is an electrical supply that is not classified as a wire or cable. The most common fixtures include light bulbs, lamps, and other decorative items.
5) Switch
The switch is an electrical supply that provides a way to control the flow of electric current. The most common type of switch includes a button or lever that can be pressed down or up to turn on/off whatever it is controlling, such as a lightbulb, ceiling fan, etc. Other types of switches can allow you to control multiple outlets at once with one switch or even turn your entire circuit on/off altogether.
6) Outlet
The outlet is an electrical supply used to receive the electric current from the circuit. It has two ports; one port that provides a pathway for electricity to enter into whatever it is powering, and a second port that will provide an exit way for electricity to leave whatever is being powered. Like the switch, other types of outlets can allow you to control multiple items at once, such as large appliances like refrigerators or washers/dryers.
7) Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)
The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, or GFCI, is a special outlet that can tell whether or not the electric current is flowing correctly through a circuit. If the current starts to flow unexpectedly somewhere it should not be going (i.e., from a 120V hot wire into a neutral wire), the GFCI will automatically shut the circuit off before any damage occurs.
Seven main types of electrical supplies are used in commercial projects. These products include wire, cable, fuse, fixture, switch, outlet, and GFCI. It is important to make sure you purchase the right supply to channel electricity through your project properly.