Nc /no contacts

[kwame]

Hi folks!
greetings from western Africa.I am much more accustomed to general purpose electromechanical relays.Characteristically, the common, Normally closed and Normally Open contacts are clearly indicated on the body.
I went to the electrical shop to buy a contactor for some home improvement but i did not see the NC/NO contacts embossed on it.So queried the shop keeper he was the 'proverbial Alice in the wonderland';he did not know a thing about and i left.
Friends,what is the simplest means to determine the NC/NO/COM auxilliary contacts on an electromechanical contactor?

 

[crutschow]

Search for continuity between the pins. That will be the NC and common contacts. For NO you will have to energize the relay and look for continuity if it has more than one set of contacts.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

One looks for the datasheet for the contactor.

Many times it's obvious.