What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
A transformer nameplate identifies the tank, its electrical ratings, and the limits under which its core and windings were designed to operate. This guide explains the fields you may encounter, what they mean, and which four numbers most directly shape an assessment before removal.
It is for North Carolina plant engineers, utility asset managers, facility directors, contractors, demolition crews, and trustees documenting equipment before a shutdown, replacement, or ownership transfer.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 10 - 333 kVA | up to 25 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 75 - 20,000 kVA | 46 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
The nameplate is the manufacturer's permanent identification record, usually attached to the tank, enclosure, or terminal compartment. Manufacturer, serial number, model, and manufacturing date distinguish one unit from another.
Photograph the entire plate straight on, then capture close views of stamped characters obscured by paint or corrosion.
Plate layouts vary by age and design. A liquid-filled substation transformer may list insulating fluid, gallons, tank weight, and a connection diagram; a dry-type unit may show insulation class and enclosure type instead.
Record every labeled field, including notes beneath the main ratings and any separate accessory plates.
Local reality
Why it matters when you sell
A legible plate lets a buyer distinguish a 500 kVA pad-mounted transformer from a similar-looking 750 kVA tank before anyone opens a compartment. Primary and secondary ratings establish the intended service.
Serial numbers connect the equipment to maintenance reports, fluid tests, and the owner's asset register.
For failed equipment, the plate supplies the original design baseline, not proof of present condition. A winding fault, cracked bushing, or leaking radiator still requires separate documentation.
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed, and obsolete transformers across North Carolina; clear identification helps establish what is being removed.
Around the site
The numbers
Start with four numbers: rated kVA, primary voltage, secondary voltage, and phase count. A plate reading 1,000 kVA, 13,200 V, 480Y/277 V, and three-phase describes capacity and intended connections. Frequency, commonly 60 Hz, belongs alongside them.
Read each voltage with its winding designation rather than copying isolated digits.
Next record tap voltages, impedance percent, BIL in kV, temperature rise, and cooling designation. ONAN identifies natural oil and air circulation; ONAF adds forced air. Multiple kVA ratings may correspond to cooling stages.
Capture rated currents, polarity or vector diagram, fluid type, weights, and any accessory settings exactly as labeled.
Where it sits
Common mistakes
Do not treat 480Y/277 V as two selectable secondary voltages. It identifies 480 volts between phases and 277 volts from phase to neutral on a wye winding.
Likewise, a tap table does not prove the present tap position; confirm that separately through qualified personnel and approved isolation procedures.
Another frequent error is confusing total weight with untanking weight or fluid quantity. Those entries serve different handling tasks. Never substitute a nearby transformer's plate because both tanks look alike.
Glare can turn an eight into a three, so compare photographs against stamped text before preparing removal paperwork.
On the ground
How it affects value
The four starting numbers establish the electrical configuration that a buyer must assess, but they do not decide value alone. A 13,200 V primary and 480Y/277 V secondary describe a different application from a 4,160 V secondary.
Condition, documentation, winding material, and equipment completeness also influence the assessment.
A plate rarely establishes everything needed for that assessment. Copper or aluminum winding material may require manufacturer records, and PCB status requires appropriate documentation rather than an assumption based on age.
Missing bushings, removed radiators, or an internal fault change how the identified unit is evaluated and handled.
Local reality
What to do next
Build a record with the full nameplate photograph, serial number, connection diagram, and overall views of the tank or enclosure. Include bushing and radiator photographs without crossing electrical barriers.
Note the North Carolina site location, whether the unit remains energized, and whether maintenance reports or fluid analyses exist.
Keep identification work separate from electrical testing and rigging. A nameplate weight helps planning, but the actual lift must account for attachments, remaining fluid, lifting points, and site access.
Have qualified personnel verify isolation and grounding before removal, and retain the plate photographs with the equipment's transfer paperwork.
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
Which four nameplate numbers should I record first?
Record rated kVA, primary voltage, secondary voltage, and phase count. Include symbols such as Y and all voltage pairs, not just the largest digits.
Service area
Does the nameplate show whether fluid contains PCBs?
Some plates or separate labels include PCB statements, but manufacturing date and fluid name alone do not establish current PCB status. Match any laboratory report or manufacturer documentation to the serial number.
Payment
What should I do with an unreadable nameplate?
Photograph the plate under different lighting without scraping away stamped characters or approaching energized components. Check the asset register, purchase records, drawings, and manufacturer documentation for a matching serial number.
Logistics
How it affects value: what should a seller know?
The four starting numbers establish the electrical configuration that a buyer must assess, but they do not decide value alone. A 13,200 V primary and 480Y/277 V secondary describe a different application from a 4,160 V secondary.