What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed, and obsolete 500 kVA transformers anywhere in North Carolina. This page covers nameplate details, common installations, condition records, and removal planning for plant engineers, hospital facilities directors, utility asset managers, and demolition crews.
A 500 kVA padmount or small substation unit needs more than a weight estimate. Voltage, oil records, lifting points, and access around the concrete pad shape the assessment and pickup plan.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 or 3-phase | 500 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 500 kVA means on a nameplate
The 500 kVA marking describes apparent power capacity, not a fixed amount of usable kilowatts. Actual kilowatt loading depends on power factor.
Photograph the entire nameplate so the rating can be read alongside primary voltage, secondary voltage, frequency, cooling designation, and temperature rise before the unit is assessed.
At 480 volts, a three-phase 500 kVA transformer carries about 601 amperes at rated output; at 208 volts, about 1,388 amperes. Those figures help identify the service arrangement, but they do not establish condition.
Include the serial number and any nameplate notation for taps or impedance.
Local reality
Where 500 kVA units are used in North Carolina
A 500 kVA padmount can serve a manufacturing building in Greensboro, while a small substation unit may feed a plant distribution lineup.
The installation matters: an outdoor cabinet with separable elbows presents different removal work than a transformer coupled directly to indoor switchgear through a throat connection.
Hospital facilities directors in Raleigh or Charlotte may encounter this rating serving a wing, mechanical equipment, or a separate building. Before releasing a 500 kVA unit, document which loads have transferred and who controls the outage.
Emergency distribution and normal service must be distinguished in the removal paperwork.
Around the site
Weight and dimensions in practice
Shipping weight for a 500 kVA unit is roughly 3,800 to 5,800 pounds, depending on construction, fluid volume, and enclosure. Treat that band as a planning reference, not a lift weight.
The nameplate, manufacturer drawing, or verified scale record should establish the weight used for rigging.
Measure the 500 kVA tank and cabinet, then record radiator projection, bushing height, and any attached throat or junction box. A padmount cabinet can overhang its base.
In a Durham equipment yard, gate width and overhead clearance may control the route even when the trailer deck has room.
Where it sits
Handling a 500 kVA unit
For this 500 kVA weight class, plan around a 25-ton crane and a lowboy as the sensible trailer. Crane capacity still depends on boom length, operating radius, and setup.
A lift over a fence or across a hospital service lane requires a site-specific lift plan, not nominal capacity alone.
Use the designated lifting points on the 500 kVA tank and a spreader bar where the lifting arrangement requires one. Do not lift from radiators, cabinet doors, or bushings.
Verify electrical isolation, grounding, cable release, and anchor removal before the crane takes load; photograph existing leaks before movement.
On the ground
Voltage and phase combinations
Three-phase 500 kVA units may have a 12,470-volt or 13,200-volt primary with a 480Y/277-volt secondary. Another installation may use 208Y/120 volts for building loads.
Read the actual nameplate rather than inferring voltage from the cabinet, and record whether primary connections use dead-front elbows or exposed bushings.
Winding connection, tap positions, and impedance distinguish two otherwise similar 500 kVA transformers. Photograph the connection diagram and tap changer markings without operating energized equipment.
For a North Carolina plant substation, note whether the secondary terminates in a cable compartment, bus throat, or bolted connections to adjacent switchgear.
Local reality
Condition and testing
A failed 500 kVA transformer can still be considered, but the failure description needs detail. Identify a leaking gasket, cracked bushing, operated bayonet fuse, winding fault, or fire exposure.
Do not assume a fuse operation proves internal damage; preserve relay records and the electrician's findings with the serial number.
For an oil-filled 500 kVA unit, include available PCB documentation, fluid test reports, and maintenance history. Insulation resistance, winding resistance, and turns-ratio results help characterize condition when properly performed and interpreted.
A dry-type unit needs different evidence, including winding photographs, contamination history, and records of overheating or water intrusion.
Around the site
What a 500 kVA unit is worth to a buyer
A buyer's assessment of a 500 kVA transformer starts with construction, voltage combination, condition, and completeness. A readable nameplate and intact bushings provide different evidence than an unidentified tank with missing leads.
State whether the unit remains connected, sits on its pad, or has already moved to storage.
Removal requirements also affect whether a 500 kVA unit fits the buyer's project. A clear loading area in Wilmington differs from a basement substation with restricted access.
Send photographs of the nameplate, all four sides, cable compartments when safely accessible, and the route between the unit and crane setup.
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
Do you buy failed 500 kVA transformers?
Yes. Transformer Buyers NC buys failed 500 kVA units as well as used, surplus, and obsolete equipment. Describe the fault and provide nameplate photographs, oil documentation if applicable, and any testing records. Note fire damage, fluid leakage, missing bushings, or removed cable compartments.
Service area
What equipment moves a 500 kVA transformer?
A 25-ton crane and a lowboy are sensible planning choices for a 500 kVA unit weighing roughly 3,800 to 5,800 pounds. Confirm actual weight, lift radius, ground conditions, and designated lifting points before selecting equipment. Attached radiators and cabinets also affect clearance.
Payment
Which photographs help assess a 500 kVA unit?
Provide a legible nameplate photograph, views of all four sides, and close-ups of bushings, radiators, leaks, and damage. For a 500 kVA padmount, include the concrete pad and loading route. Photograph cable compartments only when qualified personnel have established safe access.
Logistics
Voltage and phase combinations: what should a seller know?
Three-phase 500 kVA units may have a 12,470-volt or 13,200-volt primary with a 480Y/277-volt secondary. Another installation may use 208Y/120 volts for building loads.