3 busses in sub panel

[hubb_99]

i am going to put in a sub panel for my garage and i had an service panel laying around. it is a GE type. it doesn't have a main breaker so i am asssuming that it was a sub panel at one time. i see that it has "thql" type breakers installed. what i am wondering is that it has three buss bars that run underneath the breakers. i do not understand this. i doubt that one of them would be used for neutral as this would not have a way to make connections, now would it make sense. i have posted a pic of what i am talking about so you can further review the problem.

http://www.alivestl.com/images/breaker_small.jpg

thanks

[LazyPup]

I am sure Hayzee will be able to give us much better information, but from first inspection it appears to me that you have a 3-phase sub panel and it would not be suitable for your application.

[HayZee518]

Sir, this is a three phase panel - there are three hots connected to the breakers. A neutral has never been fused through a breaker.
You can use it as a sub-panel but every other breaker will be on the odd leg.
If you want you can jump out this bus with a piece of wire and make it a 220 single phase panel.
Just remember that every two adjacent breakers will be of the same potential - so if you're looking for 220 single phse you won't see it!

[hubb_99]

yeh, that is what i thought, three phase. i think i know how to use it as a regular. it is arranged so that you can get 220 single in one spot. other than that i'll jsut have to skip a couple of spots. i am jsut going to run one 220 volt 60 amp (for compressor and welder) and then a couple of 110's nothing special, but i jsut wanted to make sure.

[HayZee518]

ok, no prob.