What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed and obsolete instrument transformers throughout North Carolina. This page covers current transformers, potential transformers, identification records, inspection and pallet handling for plant engineers, utility asset managers, demolition crews and facility directors.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 0.1 - 30 kVA | 230 kV | Dry or liquid |
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 unit itself
Current transformers, or CTs, scale primary current down for meters and protective relays. Potential transformers, or PTs, scale primary voltage down for those circuits.
A CT marked 600:5 and a PT marked 7200:120 describe different measurement duties; neither marking alone establishes the condition of its insulation.
Construction ranges from window CTs fitted around conductors to wound-primary units and cast-resin PTs mounted inside switchgear. Outdoor instrument transformers may have porcelain housings and oil-filled tanks.
Keep terminal covers, mounting brackets and nameplates with each unit, especially when several similar housings came from different bays.
Local reality
Where you find instrument (cts and pts) in this state
Instrument transformers appear in every substation and switchgear lineup in North Carolina, serving metering and protection circuits. Removal projects can involve outdoor utility bays, industrial feeder breakers or hospital medium-voltage gear.
The cabinet location matters because a bus-mounted CT may remain hidden until crews remove barriers.
A retired textile mill in the Piedmont may yield several CT ratios from separate motor feeders, while a coastal substation project may include outdoor PTs with weathered porcelain. Record the feeder designation and cabinet number before dismantling.
Those details help distinguish matched groups from units collected across unrelated circuits.
Around the site
Our inspection list
We inspect ratio, rated burden, accuracy class, insulation condition and the test certificate. Photograph every nameplate rather than submitting one representative label for a pallet.
CT taps can produce several ratios, and PT connections may differ even when the cases share the same dimensions and manufacturer.
Inspection also covers cracked resin, chipped porcelain, loose secondary terminals, damaged mounting feet and signs of tracking near grounded metal. Certificate serial numbers should match the housings.
A matched three-phase set needs clear identification; three similar-looking PTs do not establish matching ratios, accuracy classes or insulation ratings.
Where it sits
Testing, oil and liability
An energized CT secondary must not be left open; hazardous voltage can develop across its terminals. Qualified personnel should isolate the primary circuit and follow the site's shorting and grounding procedures before removal.
PT circuits require their own isolation checks, including secondary backfeed and stored-energy hazards.
Cast-resin units have no insulating oil to drain, but some outdoor CTs and PTs contain oil. Identify the construction before handling leaks or arranging transport. For oil-filled equipment, retain fluid records and any applicable PCB documentation.
A clean housing or recent electrical test does not establish fluid composition.
On the ground
Load-out and haul
CTs and PTs are often small, numerous and scrapped by the pallet, but exposed terminals and brittle insulation need protection. Separate porcelain housings with blocking and cushioning. Strap against suitable structural surfaces, not secondary studs.
Keep each matched set together with labels that remain readable after wrapping.
Before pickup, confirm pallet dimensions, total weight and whether a forklift can reach the staging area. Window CTs should not carry loose metal parts through their openings during transit.
Larger outdoor units may require individual crating or lifting arrangements based on manufacturer instructions and verified lifting points.
Local reality
Valuation factors
A matched set with certificates gives us more to evaluate than mixed, unidentified units on a pallet. Ratio, burden and accuracy class establish the intended metering or protection duty.
Traceable test results help distinguish documented equipment from units whose insulation condition and service history remain uncertain.
Failed and obsolete instrument transformers still need accurate descriptions. Note whether the failure involved insulation breakdown, an open winding, damaged porcelain or external wiring. Missing terminal hardware and unreadable labels complicate assessment.
Keep failed units separate from tested sets so one damaged CT does not obscure the group's condition.
Around the site
How to start the conversation
Begin with the North Carolina site location, unit count and photographs of the CT or PT nameplates. Include overall views showing housings, terminals and mounting arrangements.
For equipment still installed, identify the switchgear section or substation bay and explain whether removal belongs to the owner or contractor.
Send available test certificates, ratio schedules and removal records with the photographs. List matched sets separately from loose CTs, PTs and damaged units. State whether oil-filled housings are present and whether pallets are already prepared.
Transformer Buyers NC uses those details to assess the equipment and plan pickup.
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 CTs with different ratios share a pallet?
Yes, provided each CT remains individually identified and protected. Group units by ratio and accuracy class where practical, and attach a packing list. Do not describe mixed feeder CTs as a matched set merely because their housings look alike.
Service area
Which test records should accompany retired PTs?
Include available ratio, polarity and insulation test reports, along with the original test certificate if retained. Match each document to a serial number. Note test dates and any subsequent failure, repair or exposure to moisture during storage or removal.
Payment
Do you buy instrument transformers without certificates?
We buy used, surplus, failed and obsolete CTs and PTs, including equipment with incomplete records. Missing certificates leave more condition questions unresolved. Provide readable nameplates, terminal photographs and the known service history, and identify undocumented units separately from certified sets.
Logistics
Testing, oil and liability: what should a seller know?
An energized CT secondary must not be left open; hazardous voltage can develop across its terminals. Qualified personnel should isolate the primary circuit and follow the site's shorting and grounding procedures before removal.