A spilled glass of water contains a lot of water; a split water heater contains 40 gallons and more. Write the date of installation on your water heater with a Sharpie and notice when the 5-, 6-, or 10-year warranty is nearing. A good safety backup is the addition of an alarm to signal any seepage in the pan under the water heater and some attachments stop the flow. However, have the plumber give you details about the alarm and the cost before placing the order.

I was reading an interesting article about the disagreements couples have when they are discussing or are in the process of buying or selling a house. The weird one was that 23% disagree about whether a house should be cleaned or not for showings. i could understand having a tiff over who was going to do the cleaning or who had made the mess, but as a real estate broker, arguing over whether or not the house or condominium should be clean for showings makes no sense at all.

Another reminder about English ivy, an invasive species that strangles and kills trees, like this one in West Cambridge. It’s our local kudzu, all too evident in Cambridge, Belmont and Somerville, taking over gardens and climbing trees. At the beginning of the climb, the roots can be pulled from the trees; once securely attached to the tree or wedged within the interstices of the trunk, the roots of the plant need to be sawed to destroy the vines.