What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
A transformer buyer and a scrap yard can take different paths with the same 13.8 kV unit. This page compares equipment assessment, pickup speed, paperwork and liability for plant engineers, facility directors, demolition crews and other North Carolina owners.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 10 - 333 kVA | up to 25 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 15 - 20,000 kVA | 34.5 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
Straight answer
A transformer buyer evaluates the assembled unit before deciding its next handling route. A scrap yard generally evaluates material recovery and acceptance requirements.
For a pad-mounted transformer with intact elbows, readable nameplate and documented oil condition, that distinction matters before anyone cuts cables or removes radiators.
Neither route automatically clears the owner's responsibilities. A leaking tank, uncertain PCB status or transformer still connected to a plant bus requires defined work boundaries.
Compare who accepts the unit, who handles the oil and what records document the transfer, rather than relying on a verbal pickup promise.
Local reality
The buyers
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed and obsolete transformers anywhere in North Carolina. Assessment starts with the equipment: kVA, primary and secondary voltage, cooling designation, winding material when documented, and failure history.
A winding fault and a cracked porcelain bushing describe different conditions, even on otherwise identical units.
A scrap yard may accept an intact oil-filled transformer, require draining first or decline it under its own acceptance rules. Ask specifically about the tank, residual oil and bushings.
A yard's ability to receive steel does not establish its ability to manage transformer fluids or contaminated components.
Around the site
Valuation
The assessment differs because an assembled transformer carries information that separated metal cannot preserve. A legible nameplate, ratio test report and maintenance record help establish what the unit is and how it failed.
Removing the core and winding before review eliminates the possibility of evaluating the complete assembly.
For material recovery, copper or aluminum windings, tank construction and oil removal requirements become central. Do not assume winding material from the enclosure or transformer age.
Factory drawings or reliable service records are stronger evidence; photographs through a service opening rarely settle the question without further inspection.
Where it sits
How it runs
Pickup speed depends on preparation as much as the receiving party. A disconnected transformer beside an accessible loading bay differs from one behind a hospital service yard fence.
Confirm isolation, cable removal, lifting points, estimated weight and crane access before assigning a truck or setting a removal date.
Put the handling sequence in writing: who disconnects, who drains if necessary, who loads and where the unit goes. Keep the transfer record, oil test results and applicable shipping documents together.
If a spill occurs beside the pad, those records help establish the work boundaries and custody timeline.
On the ground
Around North Carolina
A Charlotte plant removal may involve a tight loading dock and a shutdown window; an eastern North Carolina site may have open space but soft ground. The buyer-versus-yard comparison should include actual access conditions.
A lowboy cannot compensate for an undersized gate or an unsupported route across buried utilities.
At a Raleigh hospital or Greensboro manufacturing site, confirm whether the transformer belongs to the facility or the serving utility before arranging removal. A Duke Energy service connection does not establish ownership by itself.
Check asset records, easements and the service agreement so the correct owner authorizes transfer.
Local reality
First step
Gather a nameplate photograph, four exterior views, approximate dimensions and any known weight. Include photographs of leaking gaskets, damaged bushings or burned cable compartments.
State whether the transformer remains energized, has been isolated or is already disconnected; those are different conditions for planning an inspection and pickup.
Then compare written acceptance requirements from a transformer buyer and a scrap yard using the same information. Identify any requirement for oil sampling, draining or dismantling before transfer.
For a North Carolina removal, resolve loading responsibility and the receiving destination before the crane arrives at the pad.
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 scrap yard accept an oil-filled transformer?
Acceptance varies by yard and by the transformer’s condition. Confirm requirements for oil test results, PCB documentation, draining and residual fluid before transport. Do not deliver an intact tank based only on a yard saying it accepts copper and steel.
Service area
Does a failed transformer need dismantling before assessment?
Not necessarily. A transformer buyer can begin with nameplate photographs, failure details and test records while the assembly remains intact. Describe a winding fault, tank leak or bushing failure specifically. Dismantling first can remove evidence needed to assess the complete unit.
Payment
What paperwork should the owner keep after pickup?
Keep the written transfer record, equipment identification, receiving destination and relevant oil analysis. Retain shipping documents and any draining or disposal records that apply to the work. A pickup receipt alone may not document fluid handling, particularly when another contractor drains the tank.
Logistics
Around North Carolina: what should a seller know?
A Charlotte plant removal may involve a tight loading dock and a shutdown window; an eastern North Carolina site may have open space but soft ground. The buyer-versus-yard comparison should include actual access conditions.
Testing
First step: what should a seller know?
Gather a nameplate photograph, four exterior views, approximate dimensions and any known weight. Include photographs of leaking gaskets, damaged bushings or burned cable compartments.