What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
This page covers a pre-1979 transformer whose insulating fluid tests above the applicable PCB threshold. It is for North Carolina plant engineers, utility asset managers, demolition crews, and facility directors deciding what happens after that result arrives.
The laboratory report, build date, and nameplate photograph come first. A contaminated tank cannot enter an ordinary scrap route, even when the core and windings appear recoverable.
| 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 situation
A pre-1979 unit may still occupy a factory substation, hospital service yard, or retired utility pad in North Carolina. Its age raises a concern; the fluid test establishes the concentration.
Once that result triggers PCB requirements, ordinary transformer removal procedures are no longer an adequate plan.
For federal classification, fluid containing at least 50 but less than 500 parts per million generally places a transformer in the PCB-contaminated category; 500 parts per million or more generally means a PCB Transformer.
The laboratory result must be read alongside the equipment history and applicable requirements.
Local reality
What PCB-Containing Unit changes about the sale
The handling rules change completely for the pre-1979 unit in this scenario. A crew cannot treat its tank, radiators, and insulating fluid as ordinary scrap.
Before any proposed purchase advances, the PCB classification must support a lawful route for handling, transportation, and final disposition of the equipment.
Documentation becomes the decisive part of the review. A laboratory report tied to the correct serial number carries more weight than a handwritten 'PCB-free' note on a disconnect door.
Missing identification, unexplained fluid replacement, or an untraceable sample can prevent a reliable decision about the proposed transfer.
Around the site
Documentation that matters
The first records are the test result, the unit's build date, and a clear nameplate photograph. Include the laboratory name, sample date, reported PCB concentration, and units.
The report should identify which transformer was sampled, rather than referring only to a building or substation with several tanks.
Keep fluid service records with the test report, especially if the transformer was drained, refilled, or retrofilled. A replacement-fluid invoice alone does not establish the current PCB status.
Historical labels, previous analytical results, and records of leaks help explain what remains in the tank and connected radiators.
Where it sits
Risk and liability
A leaking gasket changes the job before a crane reaches the pad. PCB-bearing fluid on concrete, soil, cable trenches, or absorbent material creates a separate contamination issue.
Record the observed leak without disturbing stained material, and have qualified environmental personnel determine containment, sampling, and any required reporting steps.
Ownership transfer does not automatically erase obligations associated with PCB contamination or an earlier release. The removal plan needs clear responsibility for the tank, fluid, affected materials, transport records, and receiving facility.
A purchase agreement is not a substitute for the environmental documentation required for that particular unit.
On the ground
Timing
A demolition schedule does not change the PCB classification. Allow time to verify the laboratory report, resolve mismatched serial numbers, and confirm the authorized receiving route before disconnecting or loading the transformer.
An excavator waiting beside a contaminated pad is not a reason to bypass those checks.
For a hospital or operating plant, electrical isolation and environmental preparation need separate coordination. Qualified electrical personnel must address de-energization and safe access; the PCB plan addresses fluid containment and movement.
A booked outage should not be treated as confirmation that the contaminated transformer is ready for pickup.
Local reality
How we handle pcb-containing unit
Transformer Buyers NC buys transformers across North Carolina, but a PCB result requires a separate review before any purchase or pickup commitment. We examine the report, identification, condition, and site constraints first.
Acceptance depends on a compliant handling route, not simply on whether a lowboy can reach the pad.
For a unit that can proceed, the removal scope must identify qualified parties and the receiving facility's authorization for the specific PCB material. Lifting points, radiator condition, containment, and access also need review.
No tank should be opened or drained merely to make loading easier without an approved plan.
Around the site
What to send first
Send the complete PCB test report, build date, and readable nameplate photograph together. Include the North Carolina site location and photographs showing the tank, bushings, radiators, and pad.
If the nameplate is missing, explain how the sample identifier was connected to this particular transformer before the report was issued.
Describe whether the transformer remains energized, whether fluid is leaking, and whether previous draining or refilling is documented. Note fences, overhead conductors, narrow gates, and any stained concrete beneath the tank.
These details establish whether further environmental review is needed before a purchase decision or removal plan can proceed.
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 pre-1979 build date prove PCB contamination?
No. A pre-1979 build date flags the need to investigate, but it does not establish the fluid concentration. Provide a laboratory result linked to the specific transformer, along with its nameplate photograph and fluid service history. Age alone cannot determine the handling route.
Service area
Can draining the tank remove the PCB restrictions?
Draining alone does not establish that a transformer is free of PCB restrictions. Residual fluid and contamination can remain in windings, insulation, and radiators.
Payment
What if the PCB report has no serial number?
Provide the sampling record, equipment tag, site diagram, or other records connecting the sample to the tank. A report identifying only a North Carolina facility may be insufficient when several transformers occupy the yard.
Logistics
Timing: what should a seller know?
A demolition schedule does not change the PCB classification. Allow time to verify the laboratory report, resolve mismatched serial numbers, and confirm the authorized receiving route before disconnecting or loading the transformer.