The electrical transformer connected to your building converts raw power into a usable voltage so you can proceed with your day-to-day operations. In most cases, the transformer is owned by your local utility company, but many business owners choose to buy their own transformers.
If you choose to own your transformer and buy a cheap one, there’s a good chance it will fail before too long, leaving you high and dry. The cost of electrical downtime will depend on your industry, but it can range from thousands to millions of dollars.
Before getting into the details of why you should buy a reliable transformer, it’s important to verify that it makes sense to own your transformer.
Should you buy your own transformer?
There are two criteria that make owning your transformer worth the investment:
1. You plan on staying at your location long-term
Since a transformer is an investment that remains onsite, it’s essential that you plan to stay in the same location to get the most value from your purchase. Twenty years is a good time frame. If you don’t plan to stay at least twenty years, the benefits of owning a transformer may not outweigh the cost.
2. Your utility company will offer a better service rate
If your utility company will charge you significantly less for services when you own your transformer, it’s worth considering ownership. If not, then owning one won’t be cost-effective.
If these factors apply to you, there’s a good chance you’ll benefit from transformer ownership. Otherwise, it’s not worth your time and money.
4 reasons you need a reliable transformer
Once you determine that it makes sense to own the transformer for your business, it’s crucial to buy a reliable transformer from a reputable company. A good transformer shouldn’t fail after just a couple of years, but if you buy a cheap one, that could happen.
1. Transformer failure is costly
The cost of buying a cheap transformer goes beyond just having to repair or replace the unit. When your electricity goes down, so does your business. If you rely on electricity for daily operations, everything you do will be on pause, from customer service to order fulfillment and everything in-between. The longer it takes to replace or fix your transformer, the more money you’ll lose.
2. Small power interruptions aren’t always small problems
Let’s say you have a transformer that constantly overheats and takes your power offline, but only temporarily. It might just seem like an inconvenience, but it can actually be a big problem. For example, if your marketing team has to deal with constant power interruptions, they’re going to be less productive. They’ll have to stop what they’re doing and wait for the power to come back on and regroup. It could be minutes or hours, but either way, it will disrupt their workflow.
When a transformer fails, sometimes it takes a day to complete repairs. For example, when an underground transformer failed in New York state, the repair time was estimated as up to 24 hours.
3. Unstable voltage can damage equipment
If there’s something wrong with your transformer that doesn’t properly convert voltage, you could end up with damaged equipment. Some appliances are built with internal voltage regulators, but a big enough voltage surge can override those mechanisms. The result is fried appliances and even scorched electrical outlets.
It’s not cheap to replace equipment or to have electrical work done. By getting a reputable, high-quality transformer, you’re reducing the potential for preventable electrical damage to your business. Also, make sure that your medium voltage installation is done by experts to avoid problems.
4. Transformer failures can cause a fire
One of the most unfortunate dangers of a transformer failure is fire, and it’s actually common. You’ll find news stories all over the world about fires caused by transformer failure. You don’t want this to happen to your business. Imagine if your transformer caught on fire – if it’s located close enough to the building, the fire might impact your actual business property, too. If it blows in the middle of the night when nobody’s around, the fire department might not know about the fire until someone happens to see it while driving by.
If you’re going to own a transformer, make sure it’s high-quality
You can’t afford to take any chances with the equipment that provides electricity to your business. Before buying a transformer, make sure you’re ready to invest in a high-quality unit made by a reputable company. While you can’t prevent all transformer breakdowns, a quality transformer will avoid the most common preventable issues.
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