How's to ground for the dedicated line?


Hi,
I'm going to hire a electrician to do two dedicated lines, and I still confuse about grounding.
1/ Should I ground two dedicated lines to the main breaker grouding? or
2/ Should I ground two dedicated lines together to another grounding that's separately to the main breaker grounding? and how's far should the second ground be from the main breaker grounding?
3/ I hear something that ground right at the outlets. Does anybody know anything about this?
Thanks for your help
DT
worldcup86
They way i understand it is by code you need to have a common ground for the entire system at the main box. That being said some people use a seperate star ground direct from the outlets, which i think i get but not enough to discuss it..I'll leave that one for the experts. I had used a seperate ground rod driven through the basement slab as an additional ground. My dedicated line sub box was tied to the main box and thus shared a common ground there. IT sounded really good in that configuration. However some helpful guys over at audio asylum illustrated how a difference in potential between the two grounds could cause a lightning strike to choose a path of least resistance through my system. I live in the midwest so needless to say I removed the second ground. I did suffer a near lightning hit last spring and got away with some fuses and a few power amp tubes, I don't want to think what the damage could have been. I have also heard that a secondary ground can cause ground loops.
All grounds terminate at the main AC neutral. It is in the first means of disconect for your service entrance. Everything is bonded together here. From this point out, neutrals and grounds are seperate. Isolated grounds run back to this point without bonding to anything else. All made grounding electrodes bond here. The water service entrance, verticle steel, well casings, concrete encased rebar and your driven ground rods. You will get a lot of conflicting advice on this subject. Do your research and know what you want. Not all electricians are created equal. Some will do what ever you want, even if it is wrong. Call your local inspection agency for an inspection after any work is done. Grounding and bonding are the most misunderstood parts of the NEC.
Call your local Building Department and talk to an Electrical Inspector. Never have work done without, first checking weather a permit and inspections are required. Improperly installed/grounded electrical equipment can be hazardous to you or someone you love. Only hire licensed and bonded contractors.

Good Luck in your quest,
Happy New Year