4-pole 250 A MCCB with 187 kA interrupting capacity
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2225-5HL42-0AF0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 250 A continuous current at 40 °C, designed for line protection in distribution panels. Its interrupting capacity hits 187 kA at 240 V and 121 kA at 415 V, meaning it can safely clear high-fault currents without upstream damage — critical for maintaining selectivity in a multi-tier distribution scheme. The breaker carries a trip indicator and comes with one auxiliary switch plus one trip alarm switch for remote status monitoring.
Thermal derating and panel fit
The 250 A rating holds flat from 40 °C to 50 °C (–). Above that, derate linearly: 241 A at 55 °C, 232 A at 60 °C, 222 A at 65 °C, 213 A at 70 °C (–). In a sealed enclosure with minimal airflow, that 70 °C ceiling means you lose nearly 15 % of the continuous rating — plan your bundle fill factor accordingly. The breaker measures 86 mm deep, 140 mm wide, 181 mm high (–), so it fits standard SENTRON 3VA panel cutouts. Max power loss is 48 W — non-trivial in a dense lineup; account for it in the enclosure thermal budget.
Interrupting ratings across voltage levels
The 3VA2225-5HL42-0AF0 delivers 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. The steep drop above 500 V means this breaker is optimized for 240–480 V distribution — typical for North American and IEC 415 V panels. At 690 V the 4.5 kA limit restricts it to low-fault applications; if your line side can deliver more, step up to a higher-rated frame.