What have I gots in my closetses, Precious?

So we’ve just moved into a rental condo, built in the early- to mid-80’s. In a little closet in the hall just off the kitchen but before the living room, there’s a small plastic box attached to the wall, almost like a thermostat. On the box, in capital script, are the letters D.E.M.C.* and there’s a dial with 6 settings: Off, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. That’s it. No other markings or instructions. I removed the front cover and whatever it is is definitely electric in nature. Oh - and on the opposite side of the wall this box is affixed to is the condo’s fuse box, but it’s not directly across – the fuse box is slightly higher.

Currently the dial is set to “off.” What happens if I set it to “1?” How about “5?” Do the lights on the tree on the White House lawn get a little brighter the higher I turn it? Will the world start to spin just a little bit faster? Or maybe it sets the “trip” sensitivity of the fuse breakers? I’m dying to find out.

  • Please hold all old skool rapper jokes until after the question’s been answered, m’ok?

DEMC are ceiling fans. This controller appears to control one. Do you have one somewhere?

There might have been one in the kitchen but there’s nothing there now; it was remodeled just before we moved in. What a strange place to put a fan controller!

– Steven Wright