The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2225-5JQ32-0AC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection in distribution panels. It carries a continuous current of 250 A at 40 °C, with a thermal derating curve that drops to 200 A at 70 °C — so if your panel ambient runs hot, you need to account for that reduced capacity, not the nameplate 250 A. 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 is high enough for most secondary distribution applications with large fault-current potential; the steep drop at 690 V means this breaker is not your first choice for 690 V motor circuits unless you've confirmed the available fault current stays under 4.5 kA.
Trip range and adjustability
The thermal-magnetic trip adjusts from 375 A to 2 500 A full-scale, with an initial setting of 50 A. No undervoltage release or voltage-trigger function is fitted on this variant. If your circuit requires undervoltage protection, you'll need a different order code within the 3VA family that includes that auxiliary release.
Physical fit and panel integration
Dimensions: 86 mm deep, 105 mm wide, 181 mm tall. That 105 mm width is a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for this class — it fits the same cutout and bus-bar spacing as the 3VA2225-5JQ32-0AK0 sibling, so a panel laid out for that variant accepts this one without rewiring. Depth of 86 mm clears most 200 mm deep enclosures with room for rear-mounted accessories. The breaker ships with 2 auxiliary switches (HQ type) pre-installed. No auxiliary release is included; if you need shunt trip or undervoltage, order the release separately and snap it into the accessory slot on the left side of the mechanism.
Lifecycle and sourcing
Maximum power loss is 48 W at rated current. That's moderate for a 250 A frame; factor it into your enclosure thermal calculation if you're packing multiple breakers in a sealed cabinet.
Environmental and compliance
Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C. The 70 °C operating ceiling matches the thermal derating endpoint — the breaker can run at that temperature, but at a derated 200 A. No IP rating is listed in the spec table; in a wet-well or washdown environment, it would need a separate enclosure rated for the ingress level. The basic switch variant order code is 3VA2225-5JQ32-0AA0 — that's the core switching mechanism without the auxiliary switches. If you already have that base unit and need to add the HQ auxiliaries, the 0AC0 version is the drop-in replacement with them factory-installed.