x10 controlled water spigot?

[schmuttis]

Brian H,

Thanks so much for the detailed explanation. This seems to be getting too involved and too complicated for me. Now I'm leaning to putting a battery powered water timer in the basement and just let it add water for a half hour or so each day.

I do appreciate all the information you have provided to me.

[schmuttis]

the other Steve,

Thanks for the suggestion. I think this would work in the summer but I'm afraid it wouldn't work when the pond freezes. We get a lot of freezing around the perimeter and I think the float might get frozen and be stuck in either the on or off position.

[the other steve]

Now I am seriously OT:   

It could, but if you put it just under the surface a bit, say - beneath the spray (or the waterfall), it would likely fail in the off position if you got a lot of ice.  As long as the pump kept working, it should still fill to that level.  But, again, as long as the pump was still working, it might again thaw the ice under the water flow.  If the pump was not working, the problem is some less serious, I would guess.

If you want major ice protection, you could put it deep enough (6"?) to prevent freezing, but that, too, could conceivably re-freeze at the lower level...

(Credit posted for the previous $0.02)

The Other Steve