Help me identify Yard Hydrant

[mmagliaro]

There is a vertical pipe in my yard, installed by the previous homeowner. It has a conventional looking hose valve on top of it. I do not think this is actually a "yard hydrant" with the associated long pipe and stem, controlling a valve that is deep underground below the frost line. I think he just ran a pipe over there and stuck a hose valve on top of it.

It's worked great for 5 years, but yesterday, in very cold weather (the coldest we have ever had here, in the teens), it spontaneously started spewing water and I could not move the valve dial to turn it off.

The whole vertical pipe on this thing has always been free to rotate at joint "2" (see attached photo). It has always been that way, and has always worked and never leaked from there. By turning the pipe this way and that, I managed to get the water to stop.

I need help. Can anyone tell me what this thing is by looking at my photos? Can you describe to me how it's supposed to work? Is it actually some kind of yard hydrant? What is that weird free-spinning connection at point "2"?

Other important questions:
The little pipe at "3" in the photo can screw in and out by hand and appears to do nothing. No water has ever come out of it, even if removed.

I was thinking of shutting off the water and unscrewing the whole thing from the pipe at the bottom, at point "1", and just capping it off. Is there any drawback to doing this? I'm afraid that that pipe going down into the ground might freeze if I just cap it and leave water in there.

I am hoping that with two wrenches, I can get that thing to unscrew from the ground pipe if I want to cap it off. Am I likely to have serious trouble getting that connection to budge? Any advice on how to make that easier?

Thank you for whatever information you can give me on this device.
I know this is a "newbie" question, but I am reasonably handy with basic plumbing and electrical work. If I just knew what this thing was and how it worked, I'm sure I could get it apart and remove or replace it.

Here are the pictures:

 

[Mr_David]

It is landscape quick coupler

Just push down a little and turn the part with the handle.
It will come out.
It has a spring loaded ball inside the lower fitting that will close when you remove the upper handle part.

Rain-Bird-Quick-Coupling-Valve-Key

 

[mmagliaro]

Mr_David: THANK YOU! I found some youtube videos now, showing how these work, since you identified it for me.

How silly. These past 5 years, I had no idea how handy this thing was. I always wondered why there was a little metal door flap at that joint as well.

What must have happened is that some water in the bib valve on top simply froze and pushed around the valve to let it start gushing, I assume.


So, when the summer is over, I should simply push/turn, and remove the whole pipe with the hose bib on it, I assume.

 

[Chris]

It's a Commercial irrigation quick connect. Handy little device.

 

[Chris]

You can remove it whenever you want. I'm suprised someone spent the money installing it.

 

[mmagliaro]

The story I'm told is that the previous owner had to rip up his driveway and repour it anyway, and the water line to this thing runs under there, so he figured, "Why not?" since he already had the ground open.

The devices themselves don't appear to be expensive. I found them at all the major home building stores like Lowe's or Home Depot.

In my case, since I wasn't removing it, the hose bib on top just blew out internally from the frozen water inside. That's why it was leaking. I unscrewed that and the pipe and coupling from the top of the quick-connect device, and put new pieces on. The whole thing works just like it should now. And now... ha ha... I'll leave it out of there until Spring.

Thank you again for all your help.