Hot Water Heater

[N/A N/A]

Here's another question. I have a house that had been "winterized" (before I owned it) because it was a foreclosure and would be vacant for a long time. All the utilities are now on, and the only problem is that the hot water is not functioning properly. All faucets act the same. Specifically, when I turn the hot water on I get a little bit of flow (never hot), then sputtering as air comes out, then it just goes silent. As far as I can tell, the hot water tank has filled and the heating mechanism (gas burner) is working (it makes the normal sounds and occasionally I feel the outgoing pipe is warm).

Everything I've found says to run the hot water until the air stops and I get a continuous flow of water, but I never reach that point. Is it possible there is air trapped in the lines (from the winterizing) causing some kind of air lock, or is it more likely a problem with the hot water heater itself? I don't want to call a plumber if there's a simple solution I'm missing. Any thoughts would be appreciated.