Voltage Guidance
Warning! Have you checked the voltage?
Always check that the Voltage information on the parts you have selected to ensure that the part is compatible with your appliance and mains power supply. All our electrical components are designed for use with 220-240 volts supply, unless the description and specifications of a specific part state otherwise.
Many of the electrical parts and components available on this website are not suitable for use in the U.S.A and other countries with 110-120 volt power supply and using these parts may cause damage to your appliance.
Understanding Electricity
In this article our engineer explains some basics about electricity and demonstrates why it is important to always ensure you match the voltage of any part to your appliance. To help you understand the different terms and concepts involved he compares the flow of electricity to that of water.
The first term you may come across is Voltage. This can be compared with the 'speed of water flow'. If you imagine water being discharged from a pressure washer, the water leaves at high speed and can easily displace dirt or loose gravel. However, there is only a small volume of water in the spray and as a result it is unlikely to have the power to knock a person over.
The second term used in describing electricity is Current. This can be compared to the 'volume of water in the flow'. To help understand current, imagine you're standing in a slow moving stream. The stream contains a large volume of water but as the speed of the water is very gentle it would simply pass around you.
The third term is Power and this is the result of combining voltage and current. To demonstrate, simply imagine a fireman's hose. As large volumes of water leave the hose at a high speed, it would easily have the force to knock you over. When thinking about electrical power remember: the higher the voltage, the greater the speed. The higher the current, the greater the flow.
The fourth term is Resistance. This has the effect of limiting current flow. Continuing the comparison with water, a simple way to think about resistance is to imagine a dam holding a very large amount of water. If there was a pin hole at the base of the dam, the pressure of the held water would force water through the hole. However, as the hole is very small, the resulting water flow of the leak would also be small. In this example there would be high resistance, however as resistance is reduced the flow increases. Using resistance it is possible to control the current flow from an electrical supply that is far too large to be connected directly.
Getting the right voltage
Hopefully, by using the water comparison above you can start to understand the relationship between current, voltage and resistance. A practical example of this would be to consider either a heater or a normal bulb.
A heater or bulb designed to work on an electric supply of 220-240 volts will have a resistance designed to allow the correct current to flow through it. This would allow a lamp to burn at the correct brightness and a heater to produce the correct level of heat for an appliance.
If you connect the same bulb or heater to a supply of only 110-120 volts, then the current will halve as the resistance has not changed. As a result it will only produce half as much light or heat as if operated at the correct voltage. To produce the same level of heat or light the bulb would have to be designed with a lower level of resistance.
As this example shows, it is important that any electrical component or part is matched to your appliance. You should not try using a component designed for use with 220-240 volts on a 110-120 volt supply as it will not work to the correct level and may cause other damage.
Electrical Components from BuySpares
All our electrical components are designed for use with 220-240 volts supply, unless the description and specifications of a specific part specifies otherwise. Many of the electrical parts and components available on this website are not suitable for use in the U.S.A.
