What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed and obsolete transformers from K-12 schools across North Carolina. This page covers mechanical-room dry-types, outdoor padmounts and the removal planning that school facilities directors, district engineers and demolition contractors need before a campus upgrade.
School work follows the academic calendar. July shutdowns, summer cooling loads, utility ownership and access through occupied campuses all affect which transformers can leave and how crews remove them.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 10 - 333 kVA | up to 25 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 50 - 20,000 kVA | 115 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
The load profile in K-12 Schools
K-12 school loads have seasonal peaks from summer cooling and winter heating. Air handlers, chillers and electric heating equipment can keep a transformer loaded even when classrooms are empty.
July replacement planning must account for summer programs, occupied administrative offices and cooling needed in buildings under renovation.
A district engineer should review load records against the actual equipment being retired. A classroom wing with electric heat has a different winter demand than a gym served by gas heat.
Nameplate kVA alone does not show what the school needs during a temporary shutdown or transfer.
Local reality
What transformers K-12 Schools hold
School buildings commonly hold dry-type transformers in mechanical rooms, while single-phase or three-phase padmounts sit outside on the site. Indoor units may serve classroom panels, kitchen equipment or lighting circuits.
Outdoor units need inspection of the tank, bushings, elbows and compartment layout before removal equipment is selected.
Record the primary and secondary voltages rather than assuming every campus uses the same service. A dry-type nameplate may show 480 volts to 208Y/120 volts; an outdoor padmount may have a medium-voltage primary.
Photographs should capture the complete nameplate, terminal markings and any district asset tag attached to the enclosure.
Around the site
North Carolina facilities
Every North Carolina county has K-12 school facilities, and older buildings generally hold the oldest transformer units. An original mechanical room may have narrow doors, low piping and no straight route to a loading area.
Those conditions matter as much as the transformer dimensions when planning a July removal.
Campus ownership records need attention before a padmount is offered for purchase. A transformer behind a school fence may belong to Duke Energy, Dominion Energy or a local electric cooperative rather than the district.
Confirm the owner through service records and asset documentation before including it in the removal scope.
Where it sits
Who decides and when
The facilities director usually coordinates the campus schedule, while district administration handles authorization under applicable surplus-property procedures. The electrical contractor identifies the unit being disconnected.
A demolition crew may handle lifting, but it still needs written direction identifying the school-owned transformer and the limits of the work area.
Decisions should reach the removal crew before the July shutdown starts, not after the electrician opens the mechanical-room feeder. District approval, utility coordination and contractor assignments can take separate paths.
A named school contact should resolve access to gates, keys, alarm systems and the loading area during summer hours.
On the ground
Deadlines and compliance
A school cannot be without power during term, so planned transformer work happens in July. The removal date must fit the replacement installation, testing and return-to-service schedule.
Summer classes or meal programs may still occupy part of the campus, requiring barriers and a shutdown plan that protects their electrical service.
Qualified electrical personnel must isolate the transformer, verify absence of voltage and apply the required lockout procedures before handling begins. For older liquid-filled school units, provide available fluid test reports and PCB documentation.
An unreadable label is not evidence that the fluid meets the requirements for its intended handling.
Local reality
How a removal actually runs
Start with a campus walkdown that follows the transformer from its installed position to the truck. For a mechanical-room dry-type, measure doors, turns and overhead clearance.
Check whether the route crosses a cafeteria corridor or finished gym floor, and specify floor protection before dollies or skates enter the building.
For an outdoor padmount, clear the lift area without blocking fire access or summer-program entrances. The crew checks lifting provisions, tank condition and documented weight before choosing rigging.
A lowboy or other suitable truck needs a firm approach; school bus pavement edges and buried utilities require attention before outriggers are placed.
Around the site
What we need from you
Send the school name, county, ownership confirmation and photographs of each transformer proposed for removal. Include the nameplate, enclosure, connections and surrounding access route.
For indoor equipment, show the mechanical-room doorway; for padmounts, show the pad, radiator clearance and the nearest practical truck position outside student circulation routes.
Provide the July shutdown window, whether the unit is disconnected, and the district contact authorized to approve its transfer. Note failed windings, leaking gaskets, damaged bushings or missing panels.
We buy school-owned transformers, including obsolete units, but the removal plan depends on their condition and the campus access restrictions.
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 a district sell a utility-owned school padmount?
The district must confirm ownership first. A padmount serving a school may belong to the electric utility even when it sits on district property. Check service records and asset documentation, then obtain the owner's authorization before arranging any transfer or removal.
Service area
Can removal happen while summer programs are running?
It may be possible if the district and electrical contractor establish a safe shutdown boundary and maintain power to occupied areas. Summer classrooms, meal service and administrative offices need separate consideration.
Payment
What records help with an older school transformer?
Provide the nameplate photograph, district asset record, ownership confirmation and available maintenance history. For a liquid-filled unit, include fluid test reports and PCB documentation when available. Mechanical-room dimensions and a confirmed July shutdown window help turn those records into a workable removal plan.
Logistics
Deadlines and compliance: what should a seller know?
A school cannot be without power during term, so planned transformer work happens in July. The removal date must fit the replacement installation, testing and return-to-service schedule.