Terms

The site is published by Electrical Transformer Buyers Ohio, a buying desk that purchases electrical transformers within the state of Ohio. It does not sell transformers, parts or services, and nothing on the site should be read as an offer to supply equipment.

A number given in response to an enquiry is an indication based on the information supplied. It becomes an offer when it is confirmed in writing and accepted, and it is conditional on the unit matching the description and on the site being accessible on the agreed date.

Where an inspection reveals a material difference, such as a failed winding, water in the oil or contamination, the offer is renegotiated before the unit moves. Nothing is deducted after the unit is loaded.

The seller is responsible for isolating and locking out the unit before the crew arrives, and for providing safe access to the pad. The crew will not work on energized equipment, and will stop work if the site is unsafe.

The seller confirms that they own the unit and that it is free of liens, or provides a release from the lender. A leased unit is sold by the lessor rather than the tenant.

The written material on this site describes buying practice and general transformer topics. It is not engineering advice, and it should not be used to specify, install or energize equipment. Electrical work requires a qualified person and the applicable code.

A unit described honestly sells faster than one described optimistically, because the second one gets renegotiated. A yard with a dozen units in it is a record of what Ohio plants have been replacing.

A substation unit is a project rather than a purchase, and it should be planned like one. A site visit answers in twenty minutes what a week of messages cannot.

Nothing about a transformer improves by waiting, and the oil in particular gets worse rather than better. A buyer's first question is about the rating and the second is about the access, in that order.

A buyer who cannot say where the unit will go is a broker, and brokers add a day and a deduction. A demolition pickup is fast, dirty and often the most profitable, because the alternative is a unit in a rubble pile.

A buck-boost unit is almost always misapplied rather than worn out, and the diagram inside the cover explains why. A transformer with its original documentation is easier to insure, easier to resell and easier to explain.

A unit that was replaced during an upgrade is almost always a better buy than one that failed on a Tuesday. The order of work is always the same: look, measure, test, agree, lift, pay.

A seller should ask what happens to the unit after it leaves, because the answer says what kind of buyer they are dealing with. A buyer who quotes without asking anything has quoted for a different transformer.

A buyer who works the whole state can move a unit to whichever plant needs it, which is why the coverage matters. A seller who has the serial number to hand moves through the first call in half the time.

A transformer that has been idle for two years may still be perfect, and the test sheet is how you find out. A buying desk earns its keep by answering quickly, because a seller with a unit in the way is not looking for a relationship.