Siemens SENTRON 3VA2225-5JP32-0HL0 — 250 A MCCB for Line Protection
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2225-5JP32-0HL0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 250 A continuous current at 40 °C, designed specifically for line protection in industrial distribution panels. It carries a maximum breaking capacity of 187 kA at 240 V AC and 121 kA at 415 V AC, which means it can safely interrupt fault currents up to those levels without upstream cascading — critical for high-fault installations like transformer secondaries or large motor control centers. The 250 A rating holds steady from 40 °C through 50 °C, then derates linearly to 200 A at 70 °C. For a panel builder, this means the breaker can be packed into a warm enclosure without losing capacity until ambient exceeds 50 °C — a practical advantage when the gland plate is tight and the next breaker upstream is already sized. Dimensions are 105 mm wide by 181 mm tall by 86 mm deep, fitting the standard SENTRON 3VA mounting footprint. The 86 mm depth is shallow enough for most 200 mm deep enclosures, leaving room for rear cable routing.
Breaking Capacity Across Voltages
Breaking capacity is voltage-dependent: 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 at 690 V is typical for this frame size — if your system runs at 690 V, verify the available fault current stays under 4.5 kA or step up to a higher-rated frame.
Auxiliary and Release Configuration
This variant ships with a shunt trip release (STL) and an auxiliary switch block comprising 2 auxiliary switches, 1 trip alarm switch, and 1 electrical alarm switch HQ. The shunt trip allows remote tripping from a PLC or emergency-stop circuit — useful for a category-sourcing buyer standardizing on remote-trip capability across a panel fleet. A communication function is present, though the protocol is not specified in the basic order code. The base switch is 3VA2225-5JP32-0AA0; the -0HL0 suffix adds the auxiliary and shunt-trip package.
Lifecycle and Sourcing
Power loss at rated current is 48 W maximum. In a dense panel, that heat must be factored into the enclosure ventilation calculation — 48 W per breaker adds up across a multi-breaker lineup.