What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
One phase opens, and a transformer may remain energized under single-phased conditions until a winding, connection or connected load fails. This page covers the records, testing and removal decisions that follow.
| 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
What happened
Phase loss starts with an open path: a blown primary fuse, failed switch contact, loose termination or broken conductor. Depending on the winding connection and circuit arrangement, parts of the transformer can remain energized.
Connected three-phase motors may continue running with abnormal current and reduced torque.
An intact tank does not establish that the windings survived. Heat can damage insulation inside a coil without leaving a cracked bushing or visible leak.
Record which phase opened, where the opening occurred and whether the transformer remained connected to its load before the circuit was isolated.
Local reality
How Phase Loss affects value
For a transformer being considered for purchase, phase loss changes the condition assessment. A unit that looks undamaged may have partially damaged windings that only testing will reveal.
The event history matters more than fresh paint, clean radiators or the absence of oil around the tank base.
Useful evidence can include winding resistance, turns ratio and insulation test results, interpreted by qualified personnel against the transformer design and earlier records. No single passing result proves that all insulation is sound.
Oil tests may add evidence for liquid-filled equipment, especially where overheating or internal arcing is suspected.
Around the site
The paperwork
The starting file needs the event date, the protection record and the load the transformer was carrying. Include relay targets, trip reports, fuse observations and switching logs where available.
A motor lineup or demand trend can help distinguish a lightly loaded event from sustained operation under abnormal current.
Add a readable nameplate photograph showing kVA, primary and secondary voltages, winding connection and serial number. Keep post-event test reports separate from older maintenance results.
If a contractor replaced a fuse before the investigation, preserve that work order and identify whether the removed fuse was retained for examination.
Where it sits
Liabilities to settle
Before removal, establish ownership and authority to release the transformer. A utility-owned primary fuse or service conductor does not establish ownership of the tank behind it.
At a leased North Carolina facility, the lease, utility service agreement and equipment schedule may assign different responsibilities for isolation and removal.
For liquid-filled equipment, retain fluid identification and any PCB documentation associated with the serial number. Note leaks, stained gravel and damaged drain valves separately from the phase-loss event.
Qualified personnel must confirm isolation from every source, including secondary backfeed, before anyone disconnects cables or prepares the tank for lifting.
On the ground
The clock
Protection records can disappear sooner than the transformer leaves the pad. Relay event memory may be overwritten, and temporary meters may be removed after service returns.
Capture the event date, timestamps and phase identification promptly, while operators can still describe the load and the sequence of fuse or breaker operations.
A replacement project can also remove useful evidence. Photograph bushings, cable terminations and fuse positions before demolition changes the arrangement, without approaching energized equipment.
After isolation, coordinate testing with cable removal so the test crew has suitable access and the results can be tied to the correct transformer serial number.
Local reality
Our process for phase loss
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed and obsolete transformers throughout North Carolina, including units affected by phase loss. Review begins with the nameplate, event date, protection record and carried load.
Photographs help identify the tank arrangement, damaged connections and whether the unit remains on its original pad.
Next, available test evidence is reviewed alongside access and handling details. A failed winding does not describe the lifting problem: tank weight, fluid content, radiator projections and lifting points still matter.
Pickup planning must account for crane access, cable disconnection, containment and any restrictions around the damaged primary equipment.
Around the site
Your first step
Build one file for the affected transformer rather than sending an unexplained photograph of a blown fuse. Include the event date, protection record, carried load, nameplate and current location.
State whether the open phase was on the primary or secondary side, or mark that point as unknown pending investigation.
Describe the present condition plainly: energized, isolated, tested, disconnected or already lifted from the pad. Identify missing test results and any uncertainty about winding damage.
For a North Carolina site awaiting replacement, include the planned removal window and whether the failed unit blocks access to the replacement transformer’s setting area.
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 phase loss damage only part of a winding?
Yes. Abnormal operation can leave localized insulation or conductor damage rather than an obvious complete failure. The extent depends on circuit arrangement, loading and duration.
Service area
Which records matter most after a phase opens?
Start with the event date, protection record and load being carried. Add relay event files, fuse identification and switching logs if available. Keep timestamps intact, and identify the affected phase.
Payment
Should the transformer be reenergized before an assessment?
Do not reenergize a phase-loss transformer merely to demonstrate that it operates. Hidden winding damage or an unresolved open connection may remain.
Logistics
The clock: what should a seller know?
Protection records can disappear sooner than the transformer leaves the pad. Relay event memory may be overwritten, and temporary meters may be removed after service returns.