funny, the same thing happened to me this morning. Flushed the toilet and it soundied like it coughed. Flushed again, OK. Turned on the water in the sink, coughed again. Later it was fine. I wonder if the water company was up to something over night?

If you have a vacuum relief valve on your hot water heater, this would introduce a small amount of air into the system. That would cause the spigot to spit when first turned on. This would be most likely, lets say in the morning, after the water usage sat idle for a while. An expansion tank possibly could cause the problem also. With a well system, there are a few other causes.

It's a well system. Any ideas?

PROUDGM,

A vacuum relief valve is designed to let air into the system to prevent several forms of damage. Do a Google search for "Vacuum Relief Valve" and you will find plenty of info on why they are installed and what damages they prevent.

If you have a bladder type pressure tank, the air chamber may be leaking...check the air pressure in the tank. Also, if your check valve is leaking and a bit of the water drains back to the well, air can be introduced via the vac. rel. valve or any leaking faucets.

With everything you have said I would say its your hot water heater release valve. They tend to sometimes get mineral deposit build up which can cause some simple problems. Go to your hot water heater and find the water line that feeds it water. Usually this will be a copper line coming up throu the floor and will enter the tank about a foot from the top of the tank. The release valve is usually metal silver color about an inch long and will be where the water line enters the tank. To open the valve you flip it out so its pointing away from the tank. Flip it several times out and back in, this will move the gasket inside so if there is build up it will hopefully dislodge the build up.

I've got this problem too. I have a well. Does anyone think
it could have anything to do with the heating elements in
the hot water heater?

"Does anyone think
it could have anything to do with the heating elements in
the hot water heater?"

If there is excess air dissolved in the water heating it will force it out of solution.

I have a similiar problem on both hot and cold.It dissappeared over the winter months here in the northeast but has returned after the spring thaw has started. especially after a moderate rain. Submersible system

Proudgm - I am sure you have long ago solved your problem, but for anyone else reading this thread that has a well-based system: the #1 cause of air in the lines is a faulty pitless adapter. The pitless adapter is about 4 to 5 feet below the ground surface on the well pipe. It's purpose is to convert the vertical feed from the pump to a horizontal feed into your home. The pitless adapter has a rubberized seal on the vertical portion that "slips" into the pipe-mounted adapter frame. Those seals get hard and fail over time. Here's a simple test: take the cap off of your well pipe. Run the water in your sink until the pressure regulator turns your well pump "on". After the pump has shut off and your system is fully pressurized, listen to the open top of your well pipe. If you hear hissing, the pitless adapter seal is faulty. You can replace this yourself, but I would highly recommend you contact a plumber. Save some money by digging down to the pitless adapter. Hope this helps someone.

"Save some money by digging down to the pitless adapter."

Save your back. You don't need a shovel to remove a pitless adapter.

I know this is quite an old thread, but I'm having the same problem. It only started after the hot water heater was replaced 3 months ago. We're on a well and the hot water sputters, but it only seems to happen after the water heater has run a heating cycle. The first fixture to run (bathroom, shower, kitchen, doesn't matter what, just the first one) sputters, then all other fixtures are fine until the water is heated again.
The old natural gas heater was a 12 year old 50 gal and I switched to 40 gal NG. I never had this problem with the old water heater since it was new. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

If the temperature is set to high it could cause the water to be close to boiling.

It could also be from when the installation was performed. Air was introduced into the hot water plumbing and is slowly finding it's way out.

city well water has excess air in line how do you remove it going on for 1 month, city does not know how to stop it

Air in water lines comes from either a) dissolved air naturally in water (typically surface water sources) that is released in your water heater, which you may be able to resolve with a different sacrificial anode, b) air having been allowed into city lines during maintenance activities, which will resolve itself over time.

I was once on a co-op system where they were always monkeying around and getting air in their lines. I put a virtical tee on supply line. 3/4tr tee adapted into a 3 foot tall 2"copper standpipe chamber. A ball valve at top of chamber allowed air to be bled when chamber filled and plumbing began sputtering.

Do you live where there are cold winters? Cold water holds more dissolved air. Sometimes in cold weather my tap water even looks milky from air coming out of solution when the pressure is released at the tap. Hot water cannot hold as much air in solution as cold water. When the pressure is released at the tap the air comes out of solution and expands causing sputtering at the tap. A higher set temperature on a water heater will exacerbate this.

A dangerous issue is if the water from your heater is above 212 deg F. in the tank itself. The increased pressure in the tank will keep it from boiling until you open a tap and release the water to atmospheric pressure, then a portion will flash into steam causing spitting. To see if this is the case wait till your heater just turns off then open any hot water tap FIRST then close the inlet valve to the heater. This will immediately release pressure in the heater. If the heater rumbles or vibrates when you do this the water within it is flashing because it is above atmospheric boiling point and your heater thermostat is defective.