Should I be worried about an orange glow inside my outlet?

That orange glow was a **high-resistance connection** that was effectively turning your outlet into a small space heater. When you have a loose wire or a failing internal contact, the electricity has to jump a tiny gap or force its way trough a microscopic point of contact. This generates massive amounts of localized heat without necessarily drawing enugh current to trip the breaker. That's why the plastic was warping—it was hitting temperatures high enough to melt PVC right at the source.

The maintenance guy claiming he didn't see any damage is a massive load of nonsense. If the faceplate or the socket body was visibly deformed, there is absolutely evidence of heat on the conductors. He prolly just pulled the old unit, saw the wires weren't totally turned to ash, and swapped it out to save time. Roaches can cause issues if they nest in boxes, sure, but they don't create a sustained orange glow followed by plastic melting. That is a mechanical failure of the outlet or a loose terminal, plain and simple.

You shold push them to check the wiring deeper in the wall box. If the heat was intense enough to warp the outlet, the **insulation** on the house wiring is likely brittle or scorched. If he just shoved those same compromised wires onto a new outlet, the core problem might still be there. Heat travels up the copper, and it can ruin the wire insulation several inches back into the wall where it is hidden from a quick glance.

Another thing to check is if they used the "backstab" ports on the replacement—those little holes on the back where you just push the wire in. They are notorious for loosening up and causing arcing over time. A solid connection always uses the side screws. Keep that fire extinguisher nearby, and if that new outlet feels even slightly warm to the touch when you're using it, call the manager again and don't let them blame the neighbors.

That backstabbing thing sounds super sketchy. Is there any way for me to tell if the maintenance guy did that without actualy unscrewing the whole thing from the wall? I’m kind of terrified to touch it now. Also, coud the ring light itself have caused this? It’s just a cheap one I bought online, so now I’m wondering if I should just throw the light away too or if the problem was 100% just the wall socket. My neighbor mentioned somthing about cheap power bricks failing, but I’m not sure if a bad device could make an outlet glow like that.

Check the prongs on that ring light. If they’re pitted or discolored, the light's plug likely had poor tension, wich kills outlets. Cheap gear often uses thin metal that doesn't make a solid connection.

Regarding the bugs—roach infestations usually cause a sudden "pop" and a tripped breaker from a dead short, not a sustained glow. If your maintenance guy didn't trim the wires back to clean, shiny copper, the new outlet is allready at risk. Heat ruins the temper of the copper, making it a worse conductor.

Honestly, that roach story is such a classic landlord brush-off. If you’re worried about the light, look at the plug's prongs—if they look burnt or 'pitted,' toss it. But the real concern is that these outlets are ussually daisy-chained. If the guy didn't check the wires properly, a loose connection on that outlet could eventually affect the others on the same circuit. I’d keep an eye out for any flickering or weird buzzing sounds from the wall when you have other stuff plugged in nearby. Better safe than sorry, especially with how lazy some apartment 'repairs' can be.

Keep an eye on any 'fishy' or chemical smells coming from that wall. Sometimes the heat cooks the wire insulation or the plastic box behind the wall, and that scent is a dead giveaway that things are still overheating even if you don't see a glow anymore. If your building is older, you probaly have standard thermal breakers that won't trip for a slow-burn arc or high-resistance heat like an AFCI woud. If you want to be extra sure, pick up a plug-in circuit analyzer. If the voltage drops significantly when you plug in a heavy load like a vacuum, that connection is likely still compromised somewhere down the line.