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I Hope you enjoy shopping at the Racing Ahead store and that you find what you are looking for. From time to time, new additions will be made to departments so please do come back and look again.
Electrical GoodsElectrical goods include electronic equipment intended for everyday use. Electrical goods are most often used in entertainment, communications and office productivity. Some products classed as electrical goods include personal computers, telephones, MP3 players, audio equipment, televisions, calculators, GPS automotive navigation systems and playback and recording of video media such as DVDs, VHSs or camcorders. The global electrical goods industry is dominated by Taiwanese, American, Japanese and Korean companies. Popular electrical goods brands include Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Acer, Asus, ViewSonic, Apple, HP, Dell, Samsung, LG and others.The CEA (Consumer electronics Association) estimates 2009 electrical goods sales at 150 billion dollars. electrical goods are manufactured throughout the world, although there is a particularly high concentration of manufacturing activity in the Far East, in particular Japan and South Korea. The latest electrical goods are previewed yearly at the Consumer electrical goods Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, at which many industry pioneers speak. One overriding characteristic of all electrical goods / products is the trend of ever-falling prices. This is driven by gains in manufacturing efficiency and automation, lower labor costs as manufacturing has moved to lower-wage countries, and improvements in electrical goods semiconductor design. Semiconductor components benefit from Moore's Law, an observed principle which states that, for a given price, electrical goods semiconductor functionality doubles every 18 months. While electrical goods continues in its trend of convergence, combining elements of many electrical goods items, the consumer faces different decisions when purchasing their items. The variables are becoming more about 'style and price' rather than 'specification and performance'. This convergence of technologies promises a shrinking of choice of electrical goods from retailer to the consumer and the rise of electrical goods manufacturer status within the home.
Electrical Goods EnvironmentMany electrical goods have planned obsolescence, resulting in E-waste. It is estimated that during 2003 the US alone generated over 2.8 million tons of electronic waste. Less than 10% of that amount was recovered (reused or recycled). Standby power used by electrical goods / appliances while they are turned off accounts for 5 to 10% of household energy consumption, adding an estimated $3 billion to annual energy costs in the USA. "In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electrical goods is consumed while the products are turned off."
Major Electrical GoodsMajor electrical goods or domestic appliances are usually defined as large machines which accomplish routine housekeeping tasks which include purposes such as cooking, food preservation or cleaning whether in a household, institutional, commercial or industrial setting. Major electrical goods are differentiated from plumbing fixtures because they use energy input for their operation other than water, generally using electricity or natural gas / propane. Object run by watermills would also be considered appliances. The term white goods is also used for major electrical goods primarily where British English is spoken, although definitions for the term "white goods" can differ. In the United States, the term white goods more commonly refers to linens rather than electrical goods .Major electrical goods are differentiated from small electrical goods because they are large, difficult to move, and generally fixed in place to some extent. They are often considered fixtures and part of real estate and as such they are often supplied to tenants as part of otherwise unfurnished rental properties. Another frequent characteristic of major electrical goods is that they may have substantial electricity requirements that necessitate special electrical wiring to supply higher current than standard electrical outlets can deliver. This limits where they can be placed in a home. Major electrical goods have become more technically complex from the control side recently with the introduction of the various Energy Labelling rules across the world. This has meant that the electrical goods have been forced to become more and more efficient leading to more accurate controllers in order to meet the regulations. Major electrical goods may be roughly divided into refrigeration equipment, stoves, washing equipment and miscellaneous.
Types of Electrical GoodsElectrical goods may be divided into categories called "white goods" and "brown goods" in British English.Brown goods are typically small household electrical entertainment appliances such as:
White goods comprise major household appliances and may include:
Some types of brown electrical goods were traditionally finished with or looked like wood or bakelite. This is now rather rare, but the name has stuck, even for electrical goods that are unlikely ever to have been provided in a wooden case (e.g. camcorders). White electrical goods were typically painted or enamelled white, and many of them still are. This division is also noticeable in the service area of these kinds of electrical goods products. Brown electrical goods usually require high technical knowledge and skills (which get more complex with time, such as going from a soldering iron to a hot-air soldering station), while white electrical goods need more practical skills and "brute force" to manipulate the devices and heavy tools required to repair them. There is usually a problem with microwave ovens, because these sell alongside refrigerators and dishwashers, but microwave ovens contain complex electronic boards (the clock and controller) which white electrical goods servicemen refuse to repair (as they don't have the training or tools required to do so). Some electrical goods brands send whole boards for replacement and some have them repaired by such technicians.
Small Electrical GoodsSmall electrical goods refers to a class of home electrical goods that are portable or semi-portable or which are used on tabletops, countertops or other platforms. Such items are contrasted with major electrical goods , which are typically fixtures that cannot be easily moved. All electrical goods are intended to perform, enable, or assist in performing a job or changing a status, such as the humidity of a room. In this way, they can be differentiated from other portable electrical goods that provide only entertainment. Some items not typically considered electrical goods appliances such as lamps can be used as electrical goods appliances if they are used to cook or warm food.Many small appliances are powered by electricity. The electrical goods may use a permanently attached cord which is plugged into a wall outlet or a detachable cord. The electrical goods may have a cord storage feature. A few hand-held electrical goods use batteries, which may be disposable or rechargeable. Some electrical goods appliances consist of an electrical motor upon which is mounted various attachments so as to constitute several individual appliances, such as a blender, a food processor, or a juicer. Many stand mixers, while functioning primarily as a mixer, have attachments which can perform additional functions. A few gas-powered appliances exist for use in situations where electricity is not expected to be available, but these are typically larger and not as portable as most small appliances. Items that perform the same function as small appliances but are hand powered are generally referred to as tools or gadgets, for example a hand-powered meat grinder. Some small electrical goods appliances perform the same or similar function as their larger counterparts. For example, a toaster oven is a small electrical goods appliance that performs a similar function as an oven. Small electrical goods appliances often have a home version and a commercial version. The commercial or industrial electrical goods version is designed to be used nearly continuously in a restaurant or other similar setting. Commercial electrical goods appliances are typically connected to a more powerful electrical outlet, are larger and stronger, have more user-serviceable parts, and cost significantly more. Small electrical goods appliances can be very inexpensive, such as a basic can opener or coffee maker which may cost only a few U.S. dollars or be very expensive, such as an elaborate espresso maker, which may cost several thousand U.S. dollars. Most homes contain several cheaper home electrical goods appliances with perhaps a few more expensive electrical goods appliances such as a high-end microwave oven or mixer. Small electrical goods appliances which are defective or improperly used or maintained may cause house fires and other property damage, or may harbor bacteria if not properly cleaned. It is important that users read the instructions carefully and that electrical goods appliances that use a grounded cord be attached to a grounded outlet. Because of the risk of fire, some electrical goods appliances have a short detachable cord that is connected to the electrical goods appliance magnetically. If the electrical goods appliance is moved further than the cord length from the wall, the cord will detach from the electrical goods appliance.
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| mick@racing-ahead.com |
