Scott,
That would be my guess also... The plumbing fitting is a nice touch! [Linked Image]
Pauluk,
The gizmo is a "Touch-Plate" relay.. Typically we find these in a pull can with about 20-30 other ones & a transformer to power them.... I've seen these things used here & there for all the switching in a house.. (Usually, a frustrated customer is asking to get rid of it!) Here's a link to their site... For the longest time, I thought they were out of biz.. I was wrong! http://www.touchplate.com

-Randy