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.
What is the resistance of your heating element and what is it supposed to be? If it is lower than it's supposed to be that can cause it to draw more current than that connection is rated for.
Resistance is 52 ohms. Element says it's a 260 W element on 115V, so it's designed for 2.26 amps, which would be 51 ohms. Thats gotta be within spec.