OK....I admit my ignorance about gas water heaters. I have always had electric in my previous homes. This house has natural gas (no pun intended here ) and I had to replace the water heater last year as the old one (only 6 years old) decided it was going to see how well it could water my floor.!!

I went to Lowes and got a Whirlpool Water Heater. Each cold season I and LOML hear and inspect the WH due to its funny noise of water dripping on top of the burner in the firebox. Ya know...the sound of dripping and sizzling of water boiling on a hot surface? Is this normal? The area around the WH is dry as a bone and I can see no leak of sorts and I can't really look inside the firebox very well as it is one of those sealed Flame Guard units. I went to the Whirlpool web site and they don't even list a water heater......whazzup whidat?

Any tips or hints on this "sound" in the water heater? Is it just because the water is so cold coming in that the tank develops condensation on it and the condensation drips down on the burner?

Inquiring minds want and need to know.