Check the nozzle first. On the Westinghouse ePX3500, detergent application uses the low-pressure soap nozzle. A high-pressure cleaning tip is the wrong place to expect detergent draw.
Make sure you are in soap mode
Install the soap nozzle or select the low-pressure detergent setting your own machine requires. This is one of those problems that can feel mechanical when the machine is simply in the wrong mode.
Do not pour thick gel into a system designed for thin detergent
Westinghouse says ePX3500 detergent should have a water-like consistency and specifically warns that thick gel-like detergent can clog the washer and cause damage.
Give it several seconds
The manual tells users to squeeze the trigger and wait several seconds for detergent to appear. There is a path between the tank and spray stream that has to fill.
Flush the detergent path when you are finished
Westinghouse instructs owners to remove excess detergent, add clean water and spray through the soap nozzle to flush the system. That is simple maintenance that can prevent today’s soap from becoming next month’s blockage.
If it still will not draw
Check the detergent pickup tube, tank outlet or injector path described in your model manual. Do not assume every pressure washer uses the same detergent system.
A five-minute soap test
- Use the soap nozzle or required low-pressure setting.
- Use detergent intended for pressure washers.
- Make sure the pickup tube or tank outlet is not kinked or blocked.
- Let the trigger run long enough for detergent to travel through the system.
- Flush with clean water afterward.
Why high pressure and soap often do not happen at the same time
Many detergent injectors depend on the pressure drop created by a low-pressure nozzle. Put a high-pressure tip back on and the system may stop drawing detergent by design.
When a foam cannon is a different solution
A foam cannon attaches on the high-pressure side and mixes detergent differently from an onboard low-pressure soap tank. If thick foam is the real goal, a compatible foam cannon may be a better accessory than trying to make the built-in tank behave like one.