What this MCCB carries — and the decision each rating drives
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2225-8HL32-0JH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 250 A continuous at 40 °C, designed for line protection in distribution panels. Its trip unit covers a 375 A minimum to 2 500 A maximum range, giving selectivity headroom downstream. Breaking capacity runs 440 kA at 240 V and 330 kA at 415 V, so it handles high-fault utility feeds without cascading upstream. At 690 V it still interrupts 52.5 kA — enough for most industrial service entrances. Thermal derating matters here: the breaker holds its full 250 A rating up to 50 °C ambient, then steps down linearly to 213 A at 70 °C. That means a panel at 55 °C still gets 241 A, so you don't oversize for a warm enclosure. Power loss peaks at 48 W — negligible for ventilation planning but worth noting when packing multiple breakers in a sealed section. Auxiliary configuration ships with 2 auxiliary switches plus 1 trip alarm switch (HQ type), and a shunt trip (STL) release. No undervoltage release fitted, no ground-fault monitoring. The basic switch variant is 3VA2225-8HL32-0AA0 — that's the core interrupter; this order code adds the aux package and shunt trip as a factory-assembled variant.
Mounting and panel fit
Dimensions are 105 mm wide, 181 mm tall, 86 mm deep. That 86 mm depth is the critical dimension for shallow enclosures — verify gland-plate clearance before committing the back panel. The 105 mm width is standard for a 3-pole SENTRON 3VA frame; it occupies three 35 mm DIN module positions if mounted on a DIN rail, though this frame size is typically bolted directly to the mounting plate for higher short-circuit withstand. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to +70 °C; storage from -40 °C to +80 °C. The storage low-end matters for unheated warehouses in cold climates — the breaker survives -40 °C on the shelf.
Lifecycle and sourcing posture
Lifecycle status is current — this is an active, in-production Siemens SENTRON 3VA variant. No phase-out or last-time-buy notice applies. The part is sourced and quoted to order against an RFQ through independent distribution; availability and current pricing are confirmed at quote time.