What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
This page covers selling, evaluating, and removing 12.47 kV class transformers in North Carolina. It is written for plant engineers, utility asset managers, facility directors, EPC contractors, demolition crews, and trustees responsible for equipment on a pad or in a substation.
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed, and obsolete units statewide. Identification starts with the nameplate, then moves to bushings, oil records, electrical condition, and pickup access.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 or 3-phase | 25 - 20,000 kVA | 12.47 kV Class | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 75 - 10,000 kVA | up to 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
What 12.47 kV Class means
12.47 kV is the most common North American distribution voltage and the backbone of North Carolina utility service. On a three-phase system, that figure normally describes line-to-line voltage.
A grounded-wye primary may show 12,470Y/7,200 on the nameplate, identifying both line-to-line and line-to-neutral ratings for that winding.
The voltage designation alone does not establish insulation strength, winding connection, or secondary voltage. BIL around 125 kV is a useful reference here, but the nameplate governs.
Record the actual BIL, tap positions, and connection diagram rather than inferring them from a 12.47 kV feeder designation.
Local reality
North Carolina installations
Across North Carolina, almost every padmount and substation unit is built for this distribution class. That makes 12.47 kV equipment a frequent part of utility replacements, industrial shutdowns, and campus upgrades.
Individual sites still require verification because feeder conversions and dedicated industrial services can carry different ratings.
A hospital padmount in Raleigh and a plant substation near Greensboro may share a 12.47 kV primary while having different secondary voltages, protection arrangements, and removal constraints.
Identify the equipment owner separately from the utility serving the site; ownership determines who can authorize release and removal.
Around the site
Clearances that decide the rigging
At a 12.47 kV padmount, working clearance at the cable compartment is not necessarily enough room for lifting. Measure the gate opening, overhead obstruction height, and distance from the pad to the crane position.
Include bollards, retaining walls, and the space needed to swing an outrigger.
Elbows and bushings used with this class are still in production, but that does not make every interface interchangeable. Record interface ratings and photograph broken porcelain, damaged wells, or cracked inserts.
Before rigging a 12.47 kV unit, check lifting lugs, radiator projections, and clearance for the spreader bar.
Where it sits
Field testing
For a disconnected 12.47 kV transformer, useful records include turns-ratio results, winding resistance, insulation resistance, and any oil test reports. Test conditions matter: note temperature, tap position, and whether cables remained connected.
Qualified personnel should select procedures appropriate to the winding design and the suspected failure.
A blown bayonet fuse on a 12.47 kV padmount does not, by itself, prove winding failure. Include the event history, relay targets where applicable, and photographs of leaks or displaced bushings.
Oil analysis and electrical tests can help distinguish an external fault from damage inside the tank.
On the ground
Moving high-voltage equipment
Removal begins after the responsible crew has isolated the 12.47 kV source, verified absence of voltage, and applied required grounds under its procedures. Utility-owned primary cables need utility coordination.
Mark conductors before disconnection, secure loose leads, and document whether elbows, arresters, and grounding components remain with the transformer.
Use the nameplate weight and actual dimensions to plan transport; 12.47 kV identifies voltage, not lifting load. A lowboy may need a different approach than a smaller truck.
Confirm crane access, pavement capacity, tie-down points, and whether radiators or bushings must be removed before the load travels.
Local reality
Valuation notes
Evaluation of a 12.47 kV unit starts with kVA, secondary voltage, winding material if documented, manufacturer, age, and condition. A readable nameplate matters more than a guessed rating.
Include whether the transformer is energized, disconnected, failed, or held after a feeder upgrade, with supporting maintenance records where possible.
Oil-filled 12.47 kV transformers also need fluid identification and available PCB documentation. Keep sampling reports tied to the correct serial number.
Missing records, an active gasket leak, damaged bushings, or evidence of tank deformation change the assessment and may require additional handling review before removal can be planned.
Around the site
Next steps
Prepare a record for each 12.47 kV transformer: nameplate photograph, serial number, overall dimensions, documented weight, and current location in North Carolina. Add clear views of the primary compartment, secondary terminals, radiators, and tank base.
Photographs should be taken only where access is authorized and electrically safe.
For a North Carolina pickup review, identify the site contact, ownership documentation, isolation status, and access restrictions. Explain whether the 12.47 kV unit sits behind a locked utility gate or inside an operating facility.
Transformer Buyers NC reviews these details when considering equipment for purchase and arranging removal.
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 12,470Y/7,200 identify a 12.47 kV transformer?
Yes. That marking normally identifies a grounded-wye winding rated 12,470 volts line-to-line and 7,200 volts line-to-neutral. Photograph the complete nameplate so the connection diagram, secondary voltage, kVA, taps, and BIL can be checked together rather than relying on the voltage marking alone.
Service area
Can you buy failed 12.47 kV padmount transformers?
Transformer Buyers NC considers failed 12.47 kV padmounts as well as used, surplus, and obsolete units. Provide the failure history, nameplate, oil records, and photographs of damage. A fuse operation, oil leak, and internal winding fault call for different evaluation and handling.
Payment
What records help plan a North Carolina pickup?
For a 12.47 kV transformer, provide ownership authorization, documented weight, dimensions, isolation status, and the North Carolina site address. Include gate measurements, overhead restrictions, and available fluid records. These details help establish the lifting approach and identify utility coordination needed before removal.
Logistics
Field testing: what should a seller know?
For a disconnected 12.47 kV transformer, useful records include turns-ratio results, winding resistance, insulation resistance, and any oil test reports. Test conditions matter: note temperature, tap position, and whether cables remained connected.