Why does an Electric circuit breaker have a melted wire?

Wow that is hugely dangerous and a risk of fire. They get hot because you are running a large amperage through them, melting cause it is overloaded.

For example. If you had a 20 amp breaker, and 12 gauge wire (20A), and a 15 amp recepticle. Then the most you would want to run on that recepticle is 12 amps continuously, 15 amp peak non continuous. If you replaced the recepticle with a 20 amp recepticle you could run 20 amp peak, or 16 amps continiously. You could not go with a higher amp outlet as the circuit only has 12 gauge wire, and a 20A breaker.

If you plugged something with a 30 amp draw into said outlet you would get the outlet hot.

find out how many amps you are drawing off the outlet in question, then check the gauge of the wire in the wall, and the rating of the outlet and breaker that outlet is off of. Then we could decide what to do next.

Well,Being a Electrician, my advice is if you have to ask question about that call a Electrician IMMEDIATLY!!!!It could be a number of things.A loose wire in the back of plug in,worse yet a broken wire that keeps rubbing together ,(EXTREME FIRE HAZARD)Electricity is nothing to fool with if you are not trained.BE SAFE<SMART.Turn circut breaker OFF.CALL ELECTRICIAN

Really,cmon. Residential pulling that much power off ! outlet.....look outside the box!!how old is house would be first question