Air in the line ?

[Duke76]

I recently purchased a second home that is used only on weekends. When I "close up" the home at the end of my stay I close the water main at the street and turn down the water heater to "low". I reverse the process when I return. When I turn on the hot water faucet I get a spitting sound for a few seconds and then the water flow is normal. There is no spitting from the cold water.

Would this spitting be air in the line and, if so, where would it come from ? And why would it be only in the hot water line and not the cold ? There are no apparent leaks.

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

I recently purchased a second home that is used only on weekends. When I "close up" the home at the end of my stay I close the water main at the street and turn down the water heater to "low". I reverse the process when I return. When I turn on the hot water faucet I get a spitting sound for a few seconds and then the water flow is normal. There is no spitting from the cold water.

Would this spitting be air in the line and, if so, where would it come from ? And why would it be only in the hot water line and not the cold ? There are no apparent leaks.

It's normal for a heater that sits for long periods...small air particles are released as the water is heated.
I'd consider leaving it off altogether...unless it's a manually lit pilot thats a pain in the butt.