OK, so I have a new installation I’m planning and don’t know much about the air lines to be used. I have four 1/4" NPT ports on the air tank and each horn has it’s own 1/8" NPT port into an electric solenoid on each horn.
Kits come with 1/4" OD plastic tubing, but seems like it wouldn’t flow much air?
The horns are two Klein 102, one Tug 33 and one Tug 37.
Most likely coming from one 7 gallon or two 3 gallon air tanks.
I think there’s CFM requirements for each, but not sure what they are and how to find that info on the air lines.
If your tank is limited to 1/4" output then there’s no gain by getting bigger hoses. I think for small horns like what you’re getting, the 1/4" tubing would be fine. Here’s a generic flow chart.
There is one thing you do gain – a tiny bit of extra capacity. At lower pressures on an unregulated system without much in the way of connective plumbing, it’s likely moot. However, at higher pressures (say 200 PSI) with a regulator (at, say, 100 PSI) where you have a number of long runs in the system (say, to a rear QD port, a front QD port, and tanks in the mid-section or truck box … of a 21 foot long truck), the added capacity/volume of 200 PSI before initial air discharge (say, from a honk) can be meaningful (perhaps longer blasts … or perhaps an additional blast).
I could do the math to calc the capacity/volume increase between say, 1/2" hoses and 1/4" hoses at a given length, temperature, and pressure – but I’m feeling lazy.
Best bet is to replace the built-in solenoid(s) with a 1/4"npt to 1/4" ID push fitting and use a 1/4" in-line solenoid to marginally increase airflow and slightly improve the Db. 1/4" on an airtank is pretty sh*t though, all you can ever do is bridge 2 into 1 to get a 1/2" with an airline coupler.
Oh and you’ve probably wasted a bit of money too, the 33" shart horn from hornblasters is available in the form of the kleinn 411 and is cheaper but produces the same sound and Db, I have 2.
