Selgas
Well I dunno about the water heater having a leak under it as if this were the case then you would find water all around the base of the cylinder and possibly on the floor under it as well – I suspect that the spitting sounds you are hearing is due to condensation comming from the cold steel cylinder and dripping onto the main gas burner under the centre of the flueway. If this is the case then it is quite a normal function and no amount of playing with anything will change this reaction – it is how the thing is suppost to work. 
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