What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed and obsolete 20,000 kVA transformers anywhere in North Carolina. This page covers nameplate ratings, transmission substation service, shipping weights, rail access and condition records for utility asset managers, plant engineers and demolition contractors.
A unit in this class requires more than a crane reservation. The tank configuration, roughly 130,000 to 200,000 pounds of shipping weight, and receiving site's rail arrangements shape the removal plan.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 or 3-phase | 20,000 kVA | up to 34.5 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 50 - 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 20,000 kVA means on a nameplate
A 20,000 kVA nameplate rating equals 20 MVA of apparent power. It does not establish the transformer’s voltage ratio, shipping weight or cooling arrangement.
Photograph the complete plate, including serial number, impedance, frequency and each listed cooling-stage rating, before preparing the unit for removal from its substation.
Some nameplates list separate ratings for natural cooling and fan-assisted operation. Confirm whether 20,000 kVA is the base rating or a higher cooling stage.
Missing radiator banks, disconnected fans or damaged pump controls can prevent operation at a listed rating, even when the tank and bushings appear intact.
Local reality
Where 20,000 kVA units are used in North Carolina
Typical service for a 20,000 kVA unit is as a power transformer in a transmission substation. Across North Carolina, removal may follow a station upgrade, changed load requirements or an internal fault.
The station one-line diagram establishes its actual role more reliably than the site’s informal equipment label.
At a Piedmont industrial site, a 20 MVA transformer may serve a facility substation connected to higher-voltage utility service. Utility ownership and plant ownership are not interchangeable.
Asset records, equipment tags and written release authority should identify the owner before a demolition crew disconnects bushings or removes radiators.
Around the site
Weight and dimensions in practice
Shipping weight for a 20,000 kVA transformer is roughly 130,000 to 200,000 pounds. That range is a planning reference, not a lifting instruction.
Use the manufacturer’s outline drawing and shipping schedule to distinguish the main tank from separately shipped oil, radiator banks, bushings and conservator assemblies.
Measure the shipping configuration rather than the assembled substation footprint. Tall bushings and mounted conservators can change clearance under bridges or beside loading structures.
Record tank length, width and height, then identify removed components by tag so the receiving crew can match each crate to the 20 MVA unit.
Where it sits
Handling a 20,000 kVA unit
Rail handling is a central planning requirement for this 130,000 to 200,000-pound shipping class. The receiving site needs a rail spur or a transload arrangement.
Confirm access, track condition, unloading space and the transfer method before releasing the transformer from its North Carolina station or industrial property.
A transload plan must cover the move between railcar and final destination, including any permitted heavy-haul road segment. Obtain approved lifting or jacking instructions for the tank.
Spreader bars, lifting lugs, blocking and center-of-gravity information belong in the handling plan; radiator brackets are not substitutes for designated lift points.
On the ground
Voltage and phase combinations
The 20,000 kVA rating alone does not identify primary or secondary voltage. A North Carolina transmission substation unit might carry a 115 kV high-side rating, but the actual plate governs.
Record both winding voltages, phase count, connection diagram and basic impulse insulation level rather than assuming a standard configuration.
Three-phase construction is common in this application, but confirm it from the nameplate and station drawings. Capture tap positions and identify whether adjustment uses a de-energized tap changer or a load tap changer.
Separate load tap changer compartments, drive cabinets and maintenance records need to remain associated with the transformer.
Local reality
Condition and testing
For a failed 20 MVA unit, describe the event precisely: differential trip, bushing flashover, winding fault or load tap changer damage. Include relay targets and the outage date when available.
A cracked porcelain bushing and an internal winding failure present different inspection, containment and transport concerns for the same tank.
Useful records include dissolved gas analysis, oil moisture results, winding resistance, turns ratio and insulation power factor tests. Dates and test conditions matter.
Identify the insulating fluid and provide PCB documentation; an old 20,000 kVA nameplate does not establish fluid composition, and a recent oil sample does not prove winding integrity.
Around the site
What a 20,000 kVA unit is worth to a buyer
Buyer assessment starts with identification, condition and a workable removal path. For a 20,000 kVA transformer, the serial number, winding material documentation, complete nameplate and failure history establish what is being evaluated.
Missing bushings, stripped controls or undocumented internal damage change that assessment even when the main tank remains on its foundation.
Rail access can be as consequential as test results for a unit weighing roughly 130,000 to 200,000 pounds. Provide photographs of the tank, rail spur or proposed transload area, plus the outline drawing and ownership release.
Transformer Buyers NC reviews operating, surplus, failed and obsolete units without assuming they can return to service.
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
Does a 20,000 kVA transformer require rail access?
Plan around rail handling for the roughly 130,000 to 200,000-pound shipping weight. The receiving site needs a rail spur or a transload arrangement. A transload can introduce a heavy-haul road segment, which requires its own access, clearance and unloading review.
Service area
Can you buy a failed 20 MVA transformer?
Transformer Buyers NC buys failed 20,000 kVA units as well as used, surplus and obsolete equipment. Document the fault, damaged components and insulating fluid. Relay reports, oil results and photographs help distinguish a bushing failure from internal winding damage before removal planning.
Payment
Which documents identify a 20,000 kVA unit?
Start with a legible nameplate photograph, serial number and manufacturer’s outline drawing. Include shipping weights, voltage ratings, cooling stages and the station one-line diagram. Ownership release, PCB documentation and recent test records support assessment and establish constraints for rail handling and tank preparation.
Logistics
Voltage and phase combinations: what should a seller know?
The 20,000 kVA rating alone does not identify primary or secondary voltage. A North Carolina transmission substation unit might carry a 115 kV high-side rating, but the actual plate governs.