What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2225-5HL32-0HC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 250 A continuous current at 40 °C, designed for line protection in distribution panels. That 250 A holds flat through 50 °C — only starts derating above that, hitting 213 A at 70 °C, so you don't lose headroom in a warm enclosure. Breaking capacity is the headline: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 4.5 kA at 690 V. That 187 kA at 240 V covers high-fault utility feeds; the 121 kA at 415 V handles most industrial motor branch circuits without cascading upstream. At 690 V the 4.5 kA still clears a bolted fault on a 690 V drive bus. It ships with a shunt trip (STL) and two HQ auxiliary switches built in — no separate add-on order for basic status feedback. The supplied basic switch is order code 3VA2225-5HL32-0AA0. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication module on this variant.
Panel fit and mounting
Dimensions are 105 mm wide, 181 mm tall, 86 mm deep — standard SENTRON 3VA2 footprint. Mounts on a DIN rail or direct panel. The 86 mm depth leaves room behind a 200 mm deep enclosure door for wiring and the shunt trip leads. Max power loss is 48 W at rated load — factor that into enclosure ventilation if you're packing several breakers in a sealed cabinet.