No fees, no broker
kVA vs kW: What the Number on the Tag Actually Means
A working guide for Ohio sellers: what decides the number and how the unit leaves.
What we buy
What we buy here
kVA vs kW: What the Number on the Tag Actually Means comes up on almost every site visit, and the answers are usually simpler than the question suggests. A seller who sends four photographs at the start usually gets a decision the same day. A relocation leaves behind exactly the units that were built into the building, which is why they become surplus.
The first step is always the same, which is to establish what the unit is, because everything after that depends on it. A quick decision is a kindness when the unit is standing in the way of a project. The unit is the easy part; the site, the access and the paperwork are where the time goes.
Who we buy from
Six kinds of seller, one desk
- Recyclers
- Electrical contractors
- Equipment dealers
- End users
- Demo contractors
- Distributors
Fast offers
A nameplate photo is usually enough to price a unit the same day.
Dedicated logistics
We arrange the crane, the permits and the flatbed, not you.
No broker fees
You are dealing with the buyer, so nothing is shaved off the offer.
How it works
Six steps from your yard to the money
- 01
Take pictures
The nameplate, the cabinet interior and the tank in daylight. Three photographs are usually enough to place a unit in the right class and the right price band.
- 02
Send them to us
The form on this page, a text or an email all reach the same desk. Include the city, the access and any deadline the site is working to.
- 03
Review the offer
A buyer reads the photographs, asks one or two questions and sends a written offer with the assumptions stated, so nothing changes on the day.
- 04
We schedule freight
Crane, flatbed and permits are booked around your access. You get a date and a window, and we carry the cost of getting it right.
- 05
Testing on arrival
Winding resistance, megger and turns ratio, plus oil analysis where the unit is liquid filled. The results decide the final number, and you see them.
- 06
Get paid
Payment is released on the agreed terms once the unit is received and tested, by check or ACH. No retention, no sixty-day terms.
What we handle for you
The parts sellers dread, done for you
Rigging
Crane and forklift arranged around your access, not the other way round.
Oil containment
Bunds, absorbent and disposal handled before the unit moves.
Bill of sale
A clean title document for your records, signed on collection.
PCB paperwork
Pre-1979 units get the testing and the manifest they need.
Guide
The difference in one sentence
kVA is apparent power, which is what the transformer has to carry, while kW is real power, which is what the load actually uses. A 1,000 kVA transformer at a power factor of 0.8 delivers 800 kW, and the remaining 200 kVA is reactive power the windings still have to supply. That is why a plant with an 850 kW load cannot be served by an 850 kVA unit unless its power factor is perfect.
A transformer that has been idle for two years may still be perfect, and the test sheet is how you find out. A transformer with its original documentation is easier to insure, easier to resell and easier to explain.
Where the confusion costs money
Temperature rise and derating
What buyers ask for
Checklist for kva vs kw: what the number on the tag actually means
Questions about kva vs kw: what the number on the tag actually means
Related guides
Get started
Get an offer in minutes
Five fields and a phone number is all we need to start. We reply the same business day, and a firm number follows the nameplate photo.
(614) 715-3047or send the form and we will call you.
Questions
What sellers ask before they call
Equipment types
Does kva vs kw: what the number on the tag actually means change what a transformer is worth?
A unit rated 55/65 rise can carry its nameplate kVA at 55 degrees rise and slightly more at 65, but only if the cooling class allows it. A transformer run above its rating for years will show it in the oil, which is why the oil test matters more than the load study.
Service area
Where does a seller start with kva vs kw: what the number on the tag actually means?
A 1,000 kVA transformer at a power factor of 0.8 delivers 800 kW, and the remaining 200 kVA is reactive power the windings still have to supply. A seller should ask what happens to the unit after it leaves, because the answer says what kind of buyer they are dealing with.
Payment
Is kva vs kw: what the number on the tag actually means part of what a buyer checks on site?
A buyer wants kVA, primary, secondary, impedance and cooling class before anything else is discussed. Load history is useful but secondary, because the tag describes capability and the load describes how hard it was pushed.
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