The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2225-5JQ32-0BH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, carrying 250 A continuously at 40 °C and derating to 200 A at 70 °C. It breaks up to 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415/440 V, and holds a 4.5 kA rating at 690 V — so the interrupting capacity scales with your system voltage, not a single headline number.
Ratings and what they mean for fit
The 250 A full-scale rating at 40 °C is the continuous current the breaker carries without tripping in a 40 °C ambient. Above that, the thermal curve pulls back: 238 A at 55 °C, 225 A at 60 °C, 213 A at 65 °C, 200 A at 70 °C. If your panel runs hot — say, 55 °C inside a sealed enclosure — the breaker's effective capacity is 238 A, not 250 A. That derating matters for coordination studies. The adjustable thermal-magnetic trip (initial value 50 A, full-scale 250 A) lets you set the overload threshold within that range, so one breaker frame covers a spread of load sizes. The trip indicator confirms the breaker opened on fault, not manual operation. Breaking capacity: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 75.6 kA at 500 V, 4.5 kA at 690 V. For a 480 V system (common in North America), the relevant figure is the 500 V row at 75.6 kA — that's the SCCR the breaker can interrupt without welding or rupturing. At 690 V the capacity drops sharply to 4.5 kA, so it's not a universal high-voltage breaker; it's sized for distribution up to 500 V. Power loss is 50.5 W maximum at rated current — that heat stays inside the panel, so factor it into your enclosure thermal budget if you're stacking multiple breakers in a confined space.
Auxiliaries and integration
This breaker ships with an undervoltage release (UVR) and two auxiliary switches plus one trip alarm switch (HQ configuration). The UVR trips the breaker when control voltage drops below a threshold — standard for safety circuits where loss of control power must open the main contacts. The auxiliary switches report position (open/closed/tripped) to a PLC or status lamp. Communication function is built in, so it can talk to a higher-level system via the SENTRON communication modules or PROFIBUS/PROFINET gateway for remote monitoring and trip-event logging.
Physical fit and panel considerations
Dimensions: 181 mm high, 105 mm wide, 86 mm deep (7.13 x 4.13 x 3.39 in). That 105 mm width is the standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for this SENTRON frame size — it fits the same mounting cutout and busbar pitch as other 3VA2-series breakers. No need to re-drill the panel if you're swapping between 3VA2 variants of the same frame. Operating temperature range: -25 °C to 70 °C; storage: -40 °C to 80 °C. The storage range is wider because the breaker isn't dissipating heat when stored — that's the handling limit, not the running limit.
Sourcing and lifecycle
This is a current-production part from Siemens, part of the SENTRON 3VA family. It is sourced and quoted to order through independent distribution. For volume purchases or BOM commitments, availability and current pricing are confirmed at quote time — submit an RFQ for a firm position.