Is it normal for a heavy load appliance to cause a circuit breaker to feel warm? Would something like a clothes dryer that had been operating for over 45 minutes or maybe an oven that been heating to 450 degrees cause the breaker to feel warm? After reading articles on the internet about how a breaker could feel 10-30 degrees warmer than the ambient temperature, I wanted an answer in simple terms. Our panel is only two feet away from the dryer...could the heat form the dryer affect the "ambient" air? Plus, it was 95 degrees yesterday and you can feel that heat where the panel is. So it is quite warm in that area. Also, there was NO burning smell or buzzing around the warm breaker. As far as I know, this breaker has never tripped...

We did have an electrican look through the panel about 2 years ago to make sure everything looked okay as the home is 20 years old. Sorry, for the long post, but I am a worry wart.

In short, is this normal? Thanks for your help.