The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1225-5EF42-0CA0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for continuous current of 250 A. It uses a TM240 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release, so the trip curve is fixed — no electronic adjustment on this variant. Breaking capacity runs 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V, 36 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 690 V. That 187 kA figure at 240 V tells you this breaker is built for high-fault utility or transformer-fed panels where the prospective short-circuit current is extreme — not a general-purpose branch breaker. The 250 A rating holds flat from 40 °C through 50 °C, then derates gradually to 223 A at 70 °C. If your panel ambient runs hot, the continuous current you can actually pull is lower than the nameplate Iu.
Lifecycle & Sourcing
The integrated auxiliary trip is a separate order code 3VA9608-0BB24. If your BOM already calls that out, it matches this breaker.
Integration & Mounting
Front face carries IP40 protection — suitable for enclosed panel mounting where the door seals the rest. Dimensions 70 mm deep, 140 mm wide, 158 mm high. That 70 mm depth is shallow enough for most 200 mm deep enclosures without crowding the gland plate. Includes an undervoltage release (UVR) as the auxiliary release type. No auxiliary contact version, no communication function, no phase failure detection, no ground fault monitoring on this variant — if you need those, you are looking at a different suffix.