Siemens BQ3B040 Molded Case Circuit Breaker

It is designed to bolt directly onto the busbars of Siemens P1, P2, and P3 lighting and distribution panelboards. It is commonly used for commercial and industrial branch circuit applications.

No. Standard residential Siemens load centers require plug-on breakers, such as the QP series. This is a commercial-grade, bolt-on circuit breaker designed exclusively for bolt-on panelboards.

Yes. Siemens manufactures this breaker as a direct, UL listed replacement for older ITE BQ3B040 models. It shares the exact same physical dimensions and bolt-on connection style.

Yes. It utilizes a common-trip mechanism. An overload or short circuit on any single pole will automatically trip all three poles simultaneously, protecting connected three-phase equipment from dangerous single-phasing.

Yes, factory-installed load lugs are included. Always torque the terminal screws to the exact values printed directly on the breaker label to ensure a safe, code-compliant connection.

The BQ frame has a standard one-inch width per pole. Because this is a three-pole breaker, it requires three inches of continuous mounting space in the panelboard.

Standard thermal-magnetic circuit breakers are rated for 80 percent continuous duty unless marked otherwise. For continuous loads operating for three hours or more, the maximum sustained current should not exceed 32 amps to prevent nuisance tripping.

No. This device is rated exclusively for alternating current systems up to 240VAC. It is not UL listed or approved for use in DC circuits.

No. This BQ frame breaker uses a fixed thermal-magnetic trip unit. It provides a non-adjustable long-time delay for overloads and an instantaneous response for short circuits.