What The Heck Is A Hump Hose?
Hump hose. It’s a funny name for a part. The jokes really write themselves, don’t they? Here at DBA Silencing, we’ve heard all the jokes. We’ve told all the jokes. We love all the jokes. In the interests of professionalism, however, we won’t be including any of those jokes in today’s blog post. So if you’re here for naughty puns, you’re in the wrong place. But if you’re interested in information on hump hoses, then by all means read on!
Hump hoses are connector components that perform a variety of functions. At DBA Silencing, we use them to link up different sections of our air intake systems. The hump hoses we employ are rubber, but – depending on the application – other materials may be preferred. In situations where extra strength is needed, urethane hump hoses are a good choice. And in high-heat environments, a silicone hump hose may be your best bet.
Let’s say, for instance, that a portion of the air intake system on your mining truck runs alongside a stretch of the vehicle’s exhaust system. In this scenario, you might want to utilize a silicone product. Alternatively, you could add an insulating shield.
At DBA, we specialize in heat management and we can use our proprietary technology to create custom fibreglass shells that enable you to manage temperatures as required. {Our insulated fibreglass products are most often utilized to reduce the surface temperatures of our exhaust parts, but they can solve a variety of other problems as well.} Of course, you can also set things up so that your hump hoses aren’t exposed to levels of heat likely to result in melting. Thus, you would only use a rubber hump hose on the cold side of your engine’s turbocharger.
Hump hoses are fastened into place using – yep, you guessed it – hose clamps. DBA air intake pipes feature a bead that allows these clamps, after tightening, to create an impermeable seal. Once secured, hump hoses help compensate for several types of movement. {They are similar to exhaust bellows in this regard.} First, there is the vibration that most mining trucks experience during operation. Second, there is the flexing that some systems undergo as the vehicles bounce and jounce over rough terrain.
We have found, after several decades of experience, that it’s actually better when systems aren’t locked into place in an extremely rigid manner. You want a bit of play, as it minimizes cracking and breakage. Conceptually, this may bring to mind the oft-referenced comparison between willows and oaks. The willow tree, because it’s pliant, can withstand even the most violent storms. The oak, on the other hand, is unyielding, and is susceptible to being uprooted by high winds.
Another advantage of hump hoses is that they allow you to easily overcome a slight misalignment of pipes. At DBA Silencing, we manufacture units with painstaking precision. Our tolerances are typically a matter of millimetres. But, even so, issues can arise in the field when you’re assembling systems with dozens of components. Because hump hoses are malleable, they make installations much easier.
Hump Hoses Offered By DBA
We have a number of different hump hoses on the shelves at our headquarters in Port Alberni. They range in size from 5″ to 14″. Standard hump hoses connect air intake pipes of the same diameter. Reducing hump hoses, as the name suggests, link parts of different sizes.
We also sell rubber elbows. These are similar to hump hoses but, as you’d expect, they feature a bend. We have both 45 degree rubber elbows and 90 degree rubber elbows and, as with the hump hoses, there are standard and reducing options. You’ll notice that these rubber units are ribbed. {We will, once again, avoid the obvious jests.} The ribbing is intended to stiffen these products. Rubber elbows that aren’t ribbed can collapse under certain circumstances, cutting off air to the engine of your mining truck and causing it to stall.
Many of the hump hoses and rubber elbows we have available cannot be found anywhere else. This is because we’ve invested in expensive dies that enable us to produce components no one else is making.
A Pro Tip For Hump Hoses
Suppose you need to replace the engine on one of your mining trucks. This is of course a major undertaking, and we recommend replacing all the hump hoses in your systems whilst you have everything pulled apart. We suggest this because, over time, hump hoses can harden and develop fissures.
If a hump hose tears open after three or four years of service, grit can get into your engine. And particles entering your engine can dramatically shorten its life. We feel it makes sense, therefore, to spend $700 or $800 on a complete set of new hump hoses {even if some of them are still perfectly fine} to avoid “dusting” your million dollar engine.
In closing: you need hump hoses? DBA Silencing has you covered! We have a variety of sizes and styles in stock, and so we can often ship out hump hoses and rubber elbows right away. If you have questions about these products, you’re more than welcome to give us a ring at 1-800-661-5886. You can also consult our website or our catalogue. Happy humping!