Sell Your Dry Type Transformers
Dry type transformers are the most common units we buy — every commercial building has them, every remodel orphans a few, and every one of them has a nameplate that tells us exactly what to pay.
15 KVA wall-hungs to 2,500 KVA floor units, general purpose or K-rated: text the nameplate to (951) 903-9804.
What drives dry type value
Four things: KVA size, voltage configuration, efficiency vintage, and windings. Bigger KVA means more money, common voltages (480 delta primary, 208Y/120 secondary) sell fastest, DOE 2016 / TP-1 efficiency units command resale premiums, and copper windings beat aluminum on recovery value when a unit is too old to resell.
K-rated and harmonic-mitigating transformers from data rooms and dense office builds are a strong sub-market — note the K-factor from the nameplate when you send it.
- General purpose dry types, 15–2,500+ KVA
- 480Δ–208Y/120 step-downs — the volume sellers
- K-13 and K-20 rated units from IT loads
- Copper-wound units of any age
- Enclosure condition matters less than the guts
Where they come from
Tenant improvements swap transformers constantly — a space re-powers, and a perfectly good 75 KVA unit comes off the wall. Contractors stack them in the yard because they're too heavy to throw away and too cheap-looking to sell. That stack is exactly what we buy. Five nameplate photos, one quote, one pickup.
What drives a transformer's price
Four things set the number: kVA rating, voltage configuration, type, and the condition of the windings. The rating determines how many buyers exist — 75 to 500 kVA is the sweet spot because that is what most commercial buildings use. Unusual custom voltages narrow the market and soften the price.
Type changes both value and logistics. Dry-type units are easy to move and reinstall, so demand is steady. Oil-filled and padmount units hold more copper and more value, but need fluid handling and heavier equipment — costs we build into the offer rather than deducting later. Never-energized new surplus is the premium category.
| Dry-type, 15–150 kVA | Best sold in groups or with other gear |
|---|---|
| Dry-type, 150–1,500 kVA | Steady demand; strong individual value |
| Padmount, single and three phase | High value; we handle rigging and fluid |
| Oil-filled substation class | Highest per-unit value; heavy haul arranged |
| Control and instrument transformers | Bought by the pallet |
| New surplus, never energized | Premium — near-wholesale pricing |
Photographing and preparing a transformer
One photo matters more than all the others: the nameplate. kVA, primary and secondary voltage, phase, impedance, temperature rise, and often the PCB status are all printed there. A legible nameplate photo usually turns into a same-day number.
After that, show us the path out. Doorways, stair runs, dock height, overhead clearance, and how close a truck can get change the equipment we bring and therefore the offer. Photos of the route are worth more to us than extra photos of the transformer.
Do not drain the oil. A drained unit is harder to move safely, and fluid handling is our job. Leave it as it sits, de-energized and disconnected by a qualified electrician, and we will plan the rest.
- Nameplate photo first — it answers most pricing questions
- Show the removal path: doors, stairs, dock, clearance
- Leave fluid in place; we handle containment and transport
- Note anything known about fluid history or testing
- Missing nameplate is not a dealbreaker — send angles and dimensions
Before you scrap anything, send one photo
Scrap is priced by weight. Used electrical equipment is priced by what the next facility needs, and those two numbers are rarely close. A scrapyard has no reason to tell you that the item in your hand keeps a plant running somewhere.
There is no cost to finding out. Text photos to (951) 903-9804 — labels and nameplates if you can get them, wide shots if you cannot — and you will have a real number, usually the same day. If the honest answer is that your lot is only worth scrap, we will tell you that too, and you have lost nothing but a text message.
Common questions
Do you buy small wall-mount transformers?
Yes — 15, 30, 45, 75 KVA wall-hungs are steady sellers, especially in multiples. Send nameplates for the batch.
Is an older dry type still worth anything?
Copper-wound older units carry solid recovery value; aluminum-wound go by size. Either way the nameplate photo gets you an honest number.
What if the transformer hums or has a dent?
Cosmetic damage barely matters. Tell us anything you know about its condition and we'll price accordingly — dents don't scare us.
What about PCBs in older transformers?
Units built after 1979 are generally non-PCB, and most nameplates from that era state it. Older units can be tested. If a unit does test high we will tell you plainly what it means for value and disposal rather than going quiet.
Do you buy a single transformer?
Yes for padmounts and larger units, where one transformer justifies the trip. Small dry-types are best grouped or combined with other equipment. Tell us the rating and location and we will be straight about the economics.
Related pages
Ready to sell? Call or text (951) 903-9804 or email photos to sellelectricalequipment@gmail.com.
Got equipment to sell?
Call or text us photos. We'll give you a price and take it from there.