What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed and obsolete three-phase pad-mounted transformers anywhere in North Carolina. This page covers building-service units, usually 75 to 2,500 kVA, with separate cable compartments and an oil-filled tank.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-phase | 75 - 2,500 kVA | 34.5 kV | Liquid-filled |
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
A three-phase padmount typically serves an entire building through underground primary cables and a three-phase secondary connection. The locked cabinet separates the cable compartments from the liquid-filled tank.
Units usually range from 75 to 2,500 kVA, although the nameplate, not cabinet dimensions, establishes the actual rating for each individual unit.
Common nameplate combinations include a 12,470-volt primary with a 480Y/277-volt or 208Y/120-volt secondary. Record the winding connection, impedance, cooling designation and tap positions as well as kVA.
A loop-feed cabinet can have six primary bushings; a radial-feed arrangement commonly has three. Photographs should show the actual connections, not just the front doors.
Local reality
Where you find three-phase pad-mounted in this state
Across North Carolina, these cabinets stand beside schools, retail centers, apartment blocks and light industrial buildings. A school unit may sit behind a fenced service court, while an apartment transformer can occupy a landscaped island beside parking spaces.
Both locations can conceal underground conduits extending beyond the visible concrete pad.
Three-phase padmounts are the most common commercial transformer units in the state and generally the most predictable to move. Predictable does not mean unrestricted: a Charlotte retail loading lane or a Raleigh school service drive may leave little crane clearance.
Confirm ownership because building service does not establish ownership of the cabinet.
Around the site
Our inspection list
Our inspection starts with the nameplate, tank seams, cabinet doors and accessible connection compartments after qualified personnel establish safe access. We inspect phase balance, oil-test records, elbow condition and the bayonet fuse assembly.
Cracked elbow insulation, tracking around a bushing or corrosion beneath a door sill deserves its own close photograph.
Phase balance should be evaluated from operating records or measurements taken by qualified personnel before disconnection, not guessed from a de-energized cabinet. Record secondary lug condition and evidence of overheating at each phase.
At the bayonet fuse assembly, note damaged holders, seal leakage and any documented fuse operation associated with the failure.
Where it sits
Testing, oil and liability
An oil test can help distinguish moisture contamination, insulation deterioration and evidence of an internal fault, depending on the tests performed. Keep the laboratory report tied to the transformer serial number and sampling date.
A sample from a drain valve should be collected by trained personnel using the laboratory's specified procedure.
Older padmounts need documented review of insulating-fluid identity and PCB status; cabinet age alone does not settle either issue. Provide any fluid analysis, spill report and maintenance history covering gasket leaks or tank repairs.
Responsibility for isolation, draining if necessary, containment and transport should be established before anyone opens the tank.
On the ground
Load-out and haul
The familiar cabinet shape makes these units comparatively predictable to handle, but lifting plans still depend on verified weight and sound lifting provisions. Use the manufacturer's lifting points and instructions.
A spreader bar may be needed to protect the tank and cabinet; radiator panels and door frames are not lifting points.
Before the truck arrives, identify buried conduits, pad edges, crane setup space and the route through the property. Larger three-phase padmounts may require a lowboy and a crane rather than a forklift.
Qualified crews must disconnect and secure cables first, with spill containment ready for any oil released during handling.
Local reality
Valuation factors
Assessment starts with kVA, primary and secondary voltage, winding material, impedance and the documented condition of the core and windings. A 480Y/277-volt building-service unit is not interchangeable with a 208Y/120-volt unit merely because both fit the same pad.
Missing nameplates or unreadable serial numbers make technical identification harder before removal planning.
Cabinet configuration also matters: loop-feed versus radial-feed, dead-front connections, switching arrangements and bayonet fuse condition all affect the assessment. Separate a failed elbow or leaking gasket from a confirmed winding fault in the records.
Fluid documentation, complete bushings and an intact tank help establish what the unit is and how it can be handled.
Around the site
How to start the conversation
Begin with clear photographs of the nameplate, closed cabinet, tank sides and concrete pad surroundings. Include the North Carolina town, kVA, voltage ratings and whether the unit remains connected.
Do not open an energized compartment for photographs; existing maintenance images can document elbows, secondary lugs and the bayonet fuse assembly safely.
State who owns the transformer and who will authorize the outage, cable disconnection and release from the property. For a school, apartment site or active retail center, describe access restrictions and the planned removal window.
Transformer Buyers NC reviews used, surplus, failed and obsolete units with those site-specific details in hand.
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 you buy a padmount with failed windings?
We buy failed three-phase padmounts as well as working units. Provide the failure report, nameplate photographs and any oil analysis. Distinguish a confirmed winding fault from an elbow flashover or bayonet fuse operation, and identify whether the tank leaked during the event.
Service area
Who disconnects the underground cables before pickup?
Qualified electrical personnel must isolate the three-phase padmount, verify the required safe condition and disconnect its primary and secondary cables. Establish that responsibility with the owner and serving utility where applicable.
Payment
What information identifies a building-service three-phase padmount?
Start with the nameplate kVA, primary voltage, secondary voltage, serial number and winding connection. Add photographs showing the cabinet arrangement and pad access. For a typical 75 to 2,500 kVA unit, include loop-feed or radial-feed details and available oil-test records.
Logistics
Testing, oil and liability: what should a seller know?
An oil test can help distinguish moisture contamination, insulation deterioration and evidence of an internal fault, depending on the tests performed. Keep the laboratory report tied to the transformer serial number and sampling date.