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.

[Radio]

Apples to Oranges, but I have never had a moments trouble with my Suburban WH.

Corrosion that fast almost seems like a current-through-dissimilar-metal kind of problem. Or the jet carries a charge that causes moisture to be drawn to it like an electric charge in a paint booth.

Hmm?

[NN5I]

Originally Posted by Radio

Apples to Oranges, but I have never had a moments trouble with my Suburban WH.

Corrosion that fast almost seems like a current-through-dissimilar-metal kind of problem. Or the jet carries a charge that causes moisture to be drawn to it like an electric charge in a paint booth.

Hmm?

I had a Suburban WH in an earlier vehicle, in which I also had to replace a jet. But that was when it was ten or fifteen years old. Eventually I replaced the entire WH with a new one, and never had trouble during the year or two I owned that vehicle (a small Class B) thereafter.

The difference may be that I live in the Pusher full-time, and the WH is always hot, or warm anyhow. That's why I doubt it's a moisture problem. Also, the jet is a little piece of brass that screws into a bigger piece of brass (the gas valve), so I don't think it's a dissimilar-metals phenomenon. But if I had access to a nice metal lathe, or a small mill -- or, I guess, a large one -- perhaps I'd make a jet out of stainless.

Anyhow, ees a meestery, señor. ¿No?