What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
Condition grading describes a transformer's physical state, operating history, and evidence of electrical damage. This guide explains the range from new to scrap, including unused surplus, used serviceable, repairable, failed, and obsolete equipment.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 10 - 333 kVA | up to 25 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 15 - 20,000 kVA | 34.5 kV | Liquid or dry |
Who we buy from
Six kinds of seller
- Recyclers
- Electrical contractors
- Equipment dealers
- End users
- Demo contractors
- Distributors
Fast offers
A written offer the same business day, based on your photographs.
Dedicated logistics
Our own crew, trailer and crane, not a brokered haul.
No broker fees
One buyer from first call to cleared pad, with nothing skimmed.
How it works
Six steps from photograph to payment
- 01
Take pictures
Photograph the nameplate, the inside of the cabinet and the tank from both ends. Four frames on a phone are enough to price most units.
- 02
Send them to us
Email or text the photographs with the site address and whether the unit is still energised. We reply the same business day with questions or a number.
- 03
Review the offer
The offer names the unit, the site, the price and the pickup window. It is written, dated and good for thirty days unless the unit changes hands.
- 04
We schedule freight
A crew, a trailer and a crane if the pad needs one. You get the date and the arrival window, and the site does not have to close for it.
- 05
Testing on arrival
Winding resistance, insulation resistance and a turns ratio check, plus oil analysis where the unit is liquid-filled. Results travel with the unit.
- 06
Get paid
Payment is released against the signed bill of sale and the scale ticket, by check or ACH, with the paperwork copy left on site.
What we handle
The parts sellers dread
Rigging
Crane, skates and a route survey for anything that will not roll onto a trailer.
Oil containment
Pans, absorbent and a spill plan before a drain plug is touched.
Bill of sale
A document that clears a lien, a lease or a bankruptcy file, not a handwritten note.
PCB paperwork
Testing and manifesting for pre-1979 oil, handled before the unit moves.
On the ground
What it is
A condition grade is a working description, not a universal certification. One evaluator may call a disconnected pad-mounted unit serviceable; another may require insulation resistance results first.
The useful grade identifies what was inspected, which records support the description, and which parts remain untested or inaccessible.
New generally means unused, but an unused surplus transformer can still have cracked bushings or moisture from outdoor storage. Used serviceable describes equipment with credible operating evidence.
Repairable, failed, obsolete, and scrap describe different concerns; an obsolete voltage configuration does not prove that its windings have failed.
Local reality
Why it matters when you sell
The grade helps an owner describe what is actually being transferred. A hospital's retired dry-type transformer with dated maintenance records presents different uncertainties from a demolition unit pulled from a flooded basement.
Both may look intact, but water exposure changes the inspection questions for insulation and windings.
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed, and obsolete transformers across North Carolina. A clear condition description helps separate equipment assessment from removal planning.
Note whether a pad-mounted tank is leaking, whether elbows remain attached, and whether the unit was disconnected after a fault or during a planned replacement.
Around the site
The numbers
There is no single numbered grading scale used by every transformer evaluator. Record the nameplate numbers instead: kVA, primary and secondary voltage, impedance, serial number, and manufacture date.
A 13,200-volt primary and 480Y/277-volt secondary identify the configuration, but they do not establish the condition of its insulation.
Test numbers need context. Insulation resistance changes with temperature and moisture; turns-ratio results must be checked against the tap position. For liquid-filled equipment, retain oil test dates and laboratory reports.
A dissolved-gas result without loading history or earlier samples may leave an evaluator unable to distinguish trends from isolated readings.
Where it sits
Common mistakes
Fresh paint is not evidence of sound windings. Look beneath radiator headers, around gasket joints, and at bushing bases for staining or active leaks.
A repainted tank can conceal corrosion, while faded paint may cover equipment that was operating normally until its documented retirement from service at the plant.
Another mistake is treating a blown bayonet fuse as a complete diagnosis. Fuse operation can accompany several fault conditions and requires investigation. Do not call the transformer repairable solely because a replacement fuse fits.
Preserve relay records, fault descriptions, and photographs before dismantling changes the evidence available for condition assessment.
On the ground
How it affects value
Condition affects whether assessment focuses on continued use, repair, component recovery, or material recovery. An intact core and winding assembly deserves different consideration from one with documented thermal damage.
Missing bushings, cut leads, and punctured radiators add uncertainty even when the nameplate remains readable and the tank appears sound.
Obsolescence is separate from physical failure. A sound transformer with an uncommon secondary voltage or an outdated connection arrangement may have limited reuse potential. Conversely, a failed unit can retain recoverable material.
Document copper or aluminum winding information when verified; do not infer the conductor from the tank's exterior.
Local reality
What to do next
Build a condition packet before equipment leaves the pad. Include nameplate photographs, all four sides of the tank, bushing close-ups, leak locations, and the reason for retirement. Attach maintenance records and available electrical or oil tests.
State plainly which observations came from inspection and which came from operating personnel.
Keep uncertain equipment uncertain in the description. Use phrases such as untested after removal or failed during operation, followed by the known facts. Have qualified personnel verify isolation before inspection or handling.
Record lifting provisions, approximate weight, and access restrictions so a lowboy and lifting crew can be planned.
Get started
Get an offer in minutes
Five fields is all it takes. Photographs help, but a nameplate and a town are enough to start.
No fee, no obligation. We reply the same business day.
Tell us what you have
We reply the same business day.
Questions
Straight answers
Equipment types
Can an unused transformer receive a poor grade?
Yes. Unused equipment can develop moisture contamination, gasket leaks, corrosion, or damaged bushings during storage. Record storage conditions and inspect the tank and terminals. An original shipping document establishes history, but it does not establish the present condition of the insulation.
Service area
Does a failed transformer automatically count as scrap?
No. A failed transformer needs a description of the failure before its disposition can be assessed. A damaged bushing presents different questions from burned windings. Preserve test reports and fault records rather than assigning a scrap grade from a single visible defect.
Payment
Which records best support a serviceable condition grade?
Useful records include the last operating date, retirement reason, maintenance history, and dated test results tied to the serial number. For liquid-filled units, include oil reports. Those records support assessment, but they do not replace inspection or guarantee suitability for another installation.
Logistics
How it affects value: what should a seller know?
Condition affects whether assessment focuses on continued use, repair, component recovery, or material recovery. An intact core and winding assembly deserves different consideration from one with documented thermal damage.