this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2026
20 points (100.0% liked)

Ask Electronics

4191 readers
35 users here now

For questions about component-level electronic circuits, tools and equipment.

Rules

1: Be nice.

2: Be on-topic (eg: Electronic, not electrical).

3: No commercial stuff, buying, selling or valuations.

4: Be safe.


founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I replaced my fridge ice maker a few years ago because part of the circuitry burned out. The replacement has also now burned out (though not nearly as badly). For reference, the burned part is supposed to hold onto the end of a copper peg that leads to the heating element (which melts the ice slightly so it can be popped out of the mold).

It seems silly to spend $60 on a new one when it's just $0.05 worth of copper that needs replacing. Is there a safe way to fix this? Unfortunately, I can't just solder the connection because it is enclosed when assembled. For reference, those tabs aren't just fouled, they are burned completely through. My first thought is to pull out the whole trace, solder on new tabs (not sure where I'd get the material), and put the trace back in.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] Soapbox@lemmy.zip 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I have a 2003 Kenmoore fridge that came with the house that won't die. Ice maker works perfect. No repairs needed in the decade I've had it.

I've found that the ones that deposit ice into a glass for you aren't very durable because they dont always seal completely, leading to icing on parts of the mechanism, which ends up freezing everything solid, and puts a lot of strain on the parts. This one is dead simple, so it should be pretty durable, but here we are.