Water heater gas jets

[NN5I]

The Diesel Pusher has an Atwood 6 gallon propane water heater. This has a little gas jet in the burner. The gas jet gradually grows a crust of corrosion, the little orifice gradually stops up, and the flame gradually gets unsteady, which I can hear inside the motor home. If I get lazy and don't replace the jet soon enough when it sounds like that, it gets to where it won't light off at all and I have no hot water until I replace the jet.

It happened again last night, and I replaced the jet this morning. Naturally, it only craps out entirely when it's rainy outside, though the rain has nothing to do with the failure.

I keep a supply of the jets (about $7.50 each with free shipping if you buy carefully on eBay -- watch out for lower price and huge shipping charge), and it takes only about ten minutes or less to replace and is very easy. I have it memorized: I need three ignition wrenches; 3/16, 1/4, and 5/16.

Have others experienced this, or am I the only one who has to replace the darned jet every year? Seems to me it ought to last much longer.