skip to main content

Help my friends take hot showers

Facing a water heater problem? Discover how tech enthusiasts stream their pilot light issues for help and fun.

Written byPhil Plait
| 1 min read
Follow on GoogleGoogle News Preferred Source
Placeholder image

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

Regular readers know I have a big crush on Pamela Gay, aka Star Stryder. I suspect her husband knows this as well, but he's also a great guy who knows a) I am harmless, and b) he can kill me with a single thought. But it can't hurt for me to butter him up a little. He and Pamela are both tech-junkies. They have Macs littering their house, and lots of other fun things. But they're having a problem with their more basic tech: the water heater is on the fritz. For some reason, the pilot light keeps going out, and they don't know why. So Mr. Star Stryder did what any modern person would do: he pointed a webcam at the pilot light and is now streaming video of it. In fact, take a look! [Edited to add: I removed the embedded video because the noise was bugging people.] Is it on? Good! If not, send him a Tweet. Tell him I sent you, and help save my life. ... or, you can just sit and be mesmerized by the blue flaminess of the stream. That's fun too. Ah, teh intertoobs. Is there nothing they can't do?

Meet the Author

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe