Hi,

I have an older house (circa 1957) with septic tank. My kitchen drain is
really slow and sometimes backs up into the tub. I'm guessing that since
the clog is common to both drains it must be down near the tank.

The cleanouts are ancient and don't appear to have been opened in years,
certainly never since I've owned the place (4 years). My neighbor just
paid $400 to get one opened, I just can't afford it...it took the
plumber 15 minutes, I just don't like paying $1600/hr rates.

Are there any tips or tricks to opening these old cleanouts? All I have
are standard car-type tools...I'm guessing the pros must use some
special sockets, breaker bars, etc? Where would I get these kind of tools?

Any other tricks (heat, lubricants, etc) to help get these plugs out?
I've got a snake but I can't get it through all the sharp bends ahead of
the cleanout (tips on using the snake are optional but appreciated!)

Thanks,
Flash