Photo: New "Safety" installed in the 40-yo Dometic RM24A trailer fridge!

The "Safety" shuts off the propane to the burner if the flame goes out for any reason.

It's amazing 100-year-old technology: a thermocouple (inside the box on the right) is kept hot in the flame, and generates a tiny amount of current. The current flows through the thing that looks like a tiny copper pipe, but is actually a 2-conductor coaxial cable, to an electromagnet which holds the valve open. The electromagnet and valve are inside the shiny new brass part. A spring holds the valve closed.

To light the device, you hold the valve open by pushing the button (grey here, at the bottom of the new part; often they're red.) As soon as the thermocouple is hot from the flame, the current will keep it open.

If the flame goes out, the current stops, the electromagnet releases, a spring closes the valve, and the flow of propane stops. Safety.

Everybody I'd talked to, including local parts and repair places, and the manufacturer, said this exact part was not available, but I found one on eBay!

(For the last couple years, I had been using the fridge with the "Safety" disabled.)

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