Katzco Professional Slow Drain Cleaner and Clog Remover - 1 Pack - 10 Foot – for Sink, Dredge, Pipeline, Bathroom, Tub, Toilet, Kitchen, Septic System, Plumbers, and More

This has been such a beautiful learning experience. After spending days watching plumbing videos on YouTube, I finally learned how to clear that clog in my bathtub using this 10 foot metal snake. I'm going to post my story here as a review, because from reading the other reviews, it doesn't appear many know how to use this thing.On day one of the clog, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. One minute water was flowing down the drain nicely, and the next minute it was moving slowly. Baffled, I put my hand over the drain and pushed some water down, imitating a plunger, cause I didn't have a real one. That pretty much sealed the deal and made it worse somehow. I must've dislodged something that fell into place and finally completely clogged the drain. Like it was just waiting to do that this whole time.I watched a couple videos, foolishly thinking I knew what I needed to buy. I went to the local grocery store where they conveniently sold those small 18 inch plastic snakes for a couple bucks, and I bought one. It was actually effective, as I attempted to see what was clogged in the bottom drain pipe. It pulled out a lot of hair and other stuff. But once all of that was gone, the tub was still clogged. I could now shove the plastic snake deeper into the bottom drain, but it hit a dead end halfway through, about 9 inches in.That, as I learned, was the back of the T-section of the drain. My bathtub also has an overflow pipe above the drain, with one of those trip lever brass plunger drain stopper thingies. So I learned how to remove that. I learned that if I bent the plastic snake and give it a slight curve, it now has the ability to easily turn at that T-section. What I didn't realize until many days later was where that plastic snake was going as I shoved all 18 inches of it inside the bottom drain. It was actually going up into the overflow pipe. And because it was a perfect 18 inches, it reached just below the opening of the overflow, where I completely didn't see it. So I knew it was going somewhere, but I had no idea where!I tried shoving the plastic snake down the overflow pipe instead, but apparently, as I learned later, it was also just going right back into the bottom drain opening. And because it was just 18 inches, it was nowhere near long enough to go deep into the drain where it needs to be. And my bathtub was still clogged.And that's where I bought this 10 foot metal snake. So as it arrived a week later, I got to work. I initially tried to put it in through the bottom drain. And just like the plastic snake, this one hit the back of the T-section and didn't move one bit further. The thin nature of the snake makes it easy to put a bend in it. So I tried a tip that claimed putting a curve in the coil would make it easier to change direction and go deeper into the pipes. But as I soon realized, like the plastic snake, it was also just going up the overflow up. The plumbers say, from the bottom drain, you have a 50/50 chance of it going up the overflow or down into the trap. But in my case, it was more like a 99% chance of going up the overflow.This had me absolutely stumped for the next couple days. I tried it both ways, from the bottom drain and down the overflow, where they really recommend you do it from. It kept going in and getting stuck the harder I pushed it into the overflow. Later I realized, that because of the curve I put in it, it was actually just going back around into the drain opening towards the tub. The curve was just making it very easy to get stuck, so I would have to turn the handle a lot to get it unstuck as I pulled it out. I straightened the coil out, back to its original form. This made it very easy to go down the overflow pipe.But it kept hitting something, a dead end, every single time. I assumed this was still the T-section that connects to the tub drain. My archnemesis, that I had to defeat. I believed it was still wanting to curve back into the tub's drain opening pipe. But I later figured out I was wrong. This was actually where I needed to be. This dead end I was hitting, was the bottom of the P-trap.After watching more videos, I learned that the closer you are to the end of the snake coil, the more leverage you have to make it wiggle and turn at a corner. Now this would be great if the P-trap was only 5 inches away from me, but no, it wasn't. So the further away you are from the end of the snake coil, the less leverage you have to make it wiggle a turn with just your hands.And that's where the handle at the other end comes in handy. But the problem here is, if you just have the snake coiled up in your hands (as shown by the picture on the package), and you try to turn it with the handle, the tension is not going to travel down to the end of the snake to make it turn. No, it's just going to stay at your hands and make the coil twist and kink up on you if you keep turning the handle. These snakes need to be constantly turning, in addition to the force of pushing them down, in order to make them navigate around the pipes.The only solution to this that I figured out, and it's the best way to do this in my opinion, is to actually wrap the snake around your body at the waist. You get in the tub and squat down, with your knees right up against the bathtub walls, as close to the pipes as possible. Wrap the snake around your waist, twice over. Keep the handle close to your body, but also long enough to reach your other hand.Now, unfortunately, if it's just you, you can't really push the snake in with one hand and crank the handle with your other hand simultaneously. If you had another person to help you, they could crank the handle while you use both of your hands to push the snake in. But it's important that the snake is wrapped around your waist, because I guess, for reasons I don't understand, it becomes impossible to kink. The energy is easily transferred down the coil. The stability of your body, along with the large diameter of your waist, seems to help a lot, I think. This explains why those more expensive drain augers have drums to contain the snake.Since it was just me, I had to alternate between pushing the snake down the drain with both hands, and then turning the handle to twist it. I did this by keeping my left hand on the snake and using my right hand to bring the handle to hold with my left and cranking it with my right. When you're not turning, put the handle in your pants to keep it from jumping away from you and loosening the rest of the snake around your waist.I also recommend putting some tape around the snake at certain lengths, so you can judge if the snake is actually moving deeper into the pipe. Also if you make the tape into a sort of tag, you can also tell if the snake is rotating as you turn the handle. And also, wear gloves. Because the zinc coating on the snake will come off if it brushes up against the pipes long enough. I toyed with the snake for two whole days trying to get it to go past that P-trap. My tub has metal pipes, so that zinc coating was long gone, leaving the exposed rusty metal of the coil. You don't want that metal residue on your fingers, trust me. It stays on your skin for a while. Also, wear gloves cause it will be easier to handle the hair gunk as you remove it from the snake.So once I finally learned how to use this thing, it only took me five minutes, from the moment of inserting it into the overflow, to getting it to go up the P-trap, where I found the remaining hair! So no more taking showers in a swimming pool for me!!! Now that you've read my story, you too can use this snake. I'm glad I went through amateur internet plumbing school for this experience, lol...

I wouldn't recommend this for ease of use, but it does work.

could not get it to snake through the trap.... which is clogged "on the other side."

You have to slowly push it down the drain. Once you feel it stop, use one hand to keep pushing the coil down, while using your other hand to turn the handle clockwise. It will only turn if you keep tension on the coil.It’s easier if you have two people (one to push it down and keep tension, the other to turn the handle), but I managed to do it myself - it wasn’t too hard.This is after the plumber thought he fixed our clog and left like someone lit a fire under his backside. I could’ve saved $100 and annoyance by using this tool from the get go.

Do Not I Repeat Do Not buy this item, it doesn’t work at all!!!!!, Returned it right away!!!!!

This product is a bit unwieldy, but it gets the job done. The length provided is perfect for getting down deep into the pipes if something is really stuck (like in my case).Simply put, this is the longest cheap option, and it works.

This just what I needed. Helped me to clear a clog that other shorts ones could not reach. 👍🏽

This appears to be a versatile tool for unclogging everything from sinks to toilets. Not so. The handcrank at the end is useless due to the flexibility of the cable. If you are looking for something to use on a clogged toilet, look elsewhere. The cable is not sturdy enough navigate around the trapway. I doubt that it would be effective on a clogged sink either - unless the clog is before the trap. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get the cable around a trap.

No es tan fácil operarlo cómo pareceAyuda a quitar cabellos de las tuberías, pero no mejor de lo que haría un fontaneroUna solución provisional en lo que llega el plomero

I was sceptical at first but I am so glad I bought this for my slow shower drain. It actually works and arrived so fast. It was easy to use and cleared out my drain so quickly. Worth buying. I Recommend this product.

Not worth the money