Finally figured out why my living room smelled like burnt plastic

I had a similar scare with a Leviton outlet in my guest bedroom a few years back. I kept hearing this faint buzzing sound whenever the space heater was on, but I figured it was just the heater fan. When I finally pulled the plate, the insulation on the white wire had turned brittle and brown. It turns out the original installer used those push-in "back-stab" connectors instead of the side screws. Since you're pulling the plates this weekend, check if they used those back-stab ports. In my house, I found about half the outlets were wired that way. I ended up swapping them all out for commercial-grade spec outlets with the screw-down pressure plates. They cost about three bucks more per unit at the hardware store, but the connection feels way more solid than just relying on a tiny internal spring. Don't forget to check the neutral wires too. Everyone focuses on the hot side, but a loose neutral can cause just as much heat build-up under load. Glad you caught it before those curtains caught a spark.

I had a scare like that in our 1974 ranch house, but my problem wasn't just the terminal screws. After pulling a few covers, I realized the previous owner had mixed copper and aluminum wiring without using the proper Marrette 63 or 65 connectors. Even if the screws are tight, that oxidation will eventually start a fire. I acutally ended up replacing every single receptacle in the living room with heavy-duty Spec Grade outlets. Those cheap 15-amp residential ones you get in the bulk packs at the big box stores just don't have the same grip on the plug prongs. If you can pull a plug out with zero resistance, that is where your resistance and heat are coming from. I spent the extra couple of bucks on the Hubbell Pro series and the difference in how firmly they hold a cord is night and day. It gives me alot more peace of mind when the kids are running thier space heaters in the winter.

Since you're doing a full sweep, grab a Klein 32307 torque screwdriver. Most guys just crank down on terminal screws til they feel 'tight,' but the spec sheet for a Pass & Seymour 5362 usually calls for exactly 14 to 18 pound-inches. Under-torquing is a silent killer and leads to the exact arcing you caught.

While you're in there, check if you have 'back-wire' clamps versus those cheap 'back-stab' holes. If the housing on those old receptacles feels even slightly brittle, don't risk it. Swap them for Legrand Radiant spec-grades. They have a much beefier internal strap that handles the heat better than the 50-cent contractor packs.

I’m still pretty new to DIY stuff, but woud an AFCI breaker have caught that arcing before the outlet started melting? I see those mentioned alot for fire safety but I honestly don't know if my panel even supports them. Also, when I'm looking at the back of the plug, how do I tell wich wire is the 'neutral' one? I'm worried about getting things mixed up if I try to swap them out myself.

Update: I spent the weekend checking every outlet. I actualy picked up that Klein torque screwdriver someone mentioned, and it made a huge difference. I found three other terminals that were way under the recommended torque. everythign is tight now, and I’m sleeping alot better knowing those connections are solid. Thanks for the tip on the specific specs!