try this
you say you've only tried once and still have to hook up some pipe, and you said "When the suds return hose is hooked up"? Losing the suction/vacuum can be easy and then you can't suck back the suds, so fix that pipe and return hose or whatever so the machine and hoses and pipes are stable, not being moved around/rerouted/undone. Put a stopper in the suds tub and be sure the final drain hose goes to a real drain/pipe/tub. Run a load of clothes and then see if it works as planned, and watch while it's draining the suds so you know right on the dial where it's headed to the suds tub. If it won't suck the suds when you set the dial at SUDS RETURN, DON'T touch any hose at all. Turn the dial to normal filling and let fresh water in for maybe 20 seconds. Stop and turn the dial to that spot where it drains suds into the suds tub, turn it on about 20 seconds and it'll send that small amount of fresh water into the suds. Stop, you've now kinda primed the pump and filled the hose. Now turn to SUDS RETURN and hopefully it'll suck suds because you're not playing with hoses, pipe,s etc. I always have a bit of trouble until all my hoses are routed correctly and left alone entirely instead of moving them around and breaking the suction/vacuum/letting air in. Report back to us, suds return machines are fun and efficient!
I have 4 suds models, so when a machine gives me suds in the tub and I try sucking into a different machine, I almost always have to do that "20 seconds fill, 20 seconds drain into the tub", before I can get someone else's suds into a dry other machine.
Confusing? Just get it all set in place for a load or two and see what the results are then. Report back, these machines are fun fun
