With power to the receptacle off: Plug it in and unplug it
several times, say 8 or 10, or better yet, scuff up the plug
prongs too with some fine sandpaper. If the heat becomes less,
it's just corrosion on the plug pins and/or inside the
receptacle.
If it plugs/unplugs more easily than normal (compare to other
outlets) or is real sloppy, the receptacle is worn out or bent
out of shape inside.

If the plug is a molded type, it's possible there are broken
wires (from plugging/unplugging in the past) right at the heat
relief area. See if that particular area is hottest. If so, you
need a new plug.

THEN if still no joy, go after the wire connections inside.
Usually a hot plug is a sign of poor contact. If the plug heats,
so will the receptacle due to the metal to metal contact.

HTH,
Pop


"– Colonel –" wrote in message
news:2005122219212116807-nobody@verizonnet...
: OK, I know just enough about electricity to be dangerous, but
this one
: has me stumped.
:
: Today I had an oil convection electric heater (1500W) turned on
in the
: bathroom to heat up the room before taking a shower, and when I
: unplugged it, I noticed the prongs of the plug were HOT.
Probably like
: 175°F hot...almost too hot to touch. Then I put my hand on the
socket
: and that was hot, too.
:
: Yet the cord to the heater wasn't even warm.
:
: If the heater uses 1500W I assume that at 125V my load is about
12A...right?
:
: It's an old house but the wiring is modern Romex.
:
: Why would the prongs of the plug and the socket get so hot?
Resistance
: in the plug? (The plug APPEARS undamaged, and we always pull it
out by
: grabbing the plug, not the wire).
:
: Should I put a new plug onto the cord?
:
: Is it likely there was resistance or a bad connection in the
socket?
:
: Thanks for any clues.
:
: C
: