"Tony" wrote in message
...
The Post Quartermaster wrote:

"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
Ok, i understand the whole panel/subpanel setup. And isolating
the neutral from the ground in the sub etc etc. Here's the
question:
We've recently purchased a house (next door) and it has the
typical farm setup, (meter on the pole with a disconnect, and
three wires to the house). The difference with this one is that
there is a second panel that was added in about 1960, when they
added on to the house, which i assumed at first was just a sub off
the main panel. I just noticed today that the second panel is
ALSO tied into the feeders just outside the house and so it in
effect is a second main panel. Are there any issues with it being
this way as long as each panel has it's own pair of proper ground
rods? Should the two be bonded together either at the ground rods
OR between the two panels?

thanks!

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

I don't know the answer to your question. I'm not even sure I
understand the question. But I know this. In my area, if you have a
hookup like that running off of just one meter, you gonna pay. If I
understand the hookup correctly, what is happening is that they
were stealing power by getting an additional level of service at
the reduced rate charged after a certain level of usage. People
around here have actually gone to jail for that.

What??????????? I have 2 main panels run off of one main with a
meter on the pole with the transformer. One to the house and one to
the garage. The power company told me that is the best way to do it
so I don't have to have 2 meters.

Nothing wrong with that if the power company okays it. But, as I said,
I'm not sure I understand the hookup as it was described. But it
sounded to me like it would be the same as if a neighbor made a deal
to run their power off your meter and then split the lower cost. All
I'm saying is that method is really, really frowned upon around here.