What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
This inspection checklist covers the twenty things to photograph before a buyer evaluates a used, surplus, failed, or obsolete transformer in North Carolina. It is for plant engineers, utility asset managers, facility directors, contractors, demolition crews, and trustees preparing equipment for removal.
Start with the nameplate and finish with the pickup route. Record visible condition without opening energized compartments, climbing the tank, or disturbing suspect insulating fluid.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 10 - 333 kVA | up to 25 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 25 - 10,000 kVA | 25 kV | Liquid-filled |
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
The short version
Begin with five identification photographs: (1) the complete transformer from a safe position; (2) the main nameplate, readable edge to edge; (3) the serial number or asset tag; (4) the voltage and connection diagram; and (5) the cooling designation and temperature-rise markings,
if shown separately.
Next document external condition: (6) the tank front; (7) the tank rear; (8) radiators or cooling fins; (9) bushings and their bases; and (10) visible leaks, rust, dents, or damaged gaskets.
Use separate close-ups where needed, but keep each defect tied to an identifiable tank location.
Local reality
Why a seller should care
Connection details prevent mistaken assumptions about removal: (11) primary terminals or elbows; (12) secondary terminals or cable exits; (13) the tap-changer indicator; (14) accessible fuse labels or external bayonet-fuse handles; and (15) gauges and their readings.
Photograph these only when the equipment's electrical status and site rules permit.
Finish with handling and records: (16) lifting lugs and lifting instructions; (17) base, skid, or pad attachment; (18) the approach route and loading area; (19) fluid identification and PCB documentation; and (20) available test reports or failure records.
These images connect the unit's condition to its actual removal constraints.
Around the site
The arithmetic
Twenty checklist subjects do not always mean twenty image files. A readable nameplate may need one straight-on view and two close-ups. Four radiator banks may require four photographs.
Count covered subjects rather than files, then label each image with the asset tag and its checklist number.
For multiple units, create one folder per serial number and repeat all twenty subjects. Three transformers therefore require sixty subject checks, even if they share one loading lane.
Do not transfer a voltage, weight, or fluid designation from one nameplate to another because the tanks look alike.
Where it sits
Where people go wrong
Glare hides stamped ratings, and a distant yard photograph rarely resolves a serial number. Take the nameplate square to the camera, check the image on screen, and repeat it from another angle if necessary.
Include the entire plate before photographing individual lines, so ratings retain their context.
Opening a pad-mounted cabinet for better elbow photographs can expose energized parts. Have authorized site personnel establish the permitted access before taking internal views.
Never remove a bayonet fuse, loosen a bushing, operate a tap changer, or crack a drain valve just to complete this photo checklist.
On the ground
Value impact
A cracked porcelain bushing, a punctured radiator, and a stain below a gasket describe different conditions. Photograph the defect closely and then step back for orientation.
Record whether leakage is active or historical only if site personnel can confirm it; a dark patch alone does not establish either.
Legible fluid records and failure reports make the assessment more specific. A PCB laboratory report should identify the sampled asset and sampling date; an unlabeled result cannot establish the tank's contents.
Likewise, a winding-resistance report or fault description should stay with the serial number of the tested unit.
Local reality
Your next move
Review the twenty subjects before sending the folder to Transformer Buyers NC, which buys used, surplus, failed, and obsolete transformers across North Carolina. Mark missing photographs explicitly.
If a compartment remains energized or locked, state that restriction instead of substituting a photograph from a neighboring pad-mounted unit.
Add a short site note identifying the transformer location, isolation status, known damage, and removal restrictions. Include measured gate clearance and any overhead obstruction along the loading route.
A lowboy approach, crane setup area, and pad attachment each need confirmation before anyone treats the photographs as a pickup plan.
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
Should I open the cabinet for connection photographs?
Not unless authorized site personnel have established safe access under the facility's electrical procedures. Exterior photographs and a clear note about the locked or energized compartment are acceptable starting points. Do not reach past barriers or disturb elbows, fuse handles, or terminal covers.
Service area
What if the transformer nameplate is unreadable?
Photograph the full plate, then try close-ups with different lighting angles. Include the asset tag and any manufacturer serial marking elsewhere on the tank.
Payment
Do failed transformers need the same twenty photographs?
Yes, where access is safe. A failed unit still needs identification, fluid documentation, lifting details, and loading-route photographs. Add close-ups of ruptured seams, damaged bushings, or displaced covers without approaching unstable equipment.
Logistics
Value impact: what should a seller know?
A cracked porcelain bushing, a punctured radiator, and a stain below a gasket describe different conditions. Photograph the defect closely and then step back for orientation.