Dryer vent potential replacement issue

We have a raised ranch house (built around 1975) where the back foundation wall is built up about 7 feet. About 6 1/2 feet up in the back is the dryer vent (it's a Billy Penn metal style vent). The problem I'm seeing is if I want to replace it, how am I going to do it? It looks like they embedded the part of the vent that would enable me to easily replace it into the cement foundation. All that is visible on the exterior wall is the wind shield and the damper. No screws or flange visible or any other easy way to remove it from what I can tell (I can provide a picture if needed). Anybody ever run across something like this and can tell me the best way that this could be swapped out when the times comes to replace it?
Thanks in advance!

 

Most times the vent is just slid in hole. That said without pictures hard to say. Be sure to steo back and give us more than a close up. Inside crawl space it you can.

 

Are you interested in replacing the vent or relocating it? If re-locating it then just stuff the old vent with insulation and cap it off. If replacing it should just slide out as Pugsi mentioned. It might be caulked in place or possibly bent tabs to lock into place.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'm at work now, so I'll post a picture or two when I get home to show what I'm describing. Basically, the vent is run in through the foundation wall right into the laundry room in a straight run, so no crawl space is involved. Normally, you'd think that they would have used a core bit to drill out a hole, then run the vent in and caulk it outside or screw it in. However, there is no caulk outside at the vent and as mentioned the flange located between the pipe and the wind shield and damper that you would normally caulk to secure it to the exterior wall is not visible, leading me to think it's shallowly embedded in the foundation in some way. All that is visible on the exterior wall is the wind shield and the damper. In the laundry room itself is melamine paneling and plywood behind it attached to the foundation. I'd prefer not to drill another hole into the foundation if possible, but I'm wondering if that is my only recourse?

 

As the guys said, it will come out. With the duct from the dryer removed, it might take a couple of minutes, but more than likely you will be able to grab the end of the duct in the basement, wiggle it a bit, and feel it start to come free. Once you can turn it a little bit, I would lay a block of wood across the end of it and see if I could gently start to tap it out. You may need to pry a bit from the outside if there is sealant on the back side of the cap. Then you should be able to wiggle and pull it from the outside. You said "if you want to replace it" though, so, unless it is damaged or whatever, just know that yes, it will come out, but I wouldn't mess with it as long as it has a good seal to the wall.

 

As promised..here are some pictures..the 1st one shows how the vent was installed. I'm thinking a core bit drilled into the foundation for the pipe, then some of the foundation was chipped away to accommodate the vent flange, and it was then cemented over to form the secure seal. The last picture shows the inside of the house where the dryer is showing the straight run into the house.

 

I touch up those photo's so we can all get a better view.

It seems to me you'll need to break up some brick and reseal with cement from the outside.

Again, are you going use the same hole or do you need to re-locate?

 

The thought would be to use the same hole, if possible. My original thought though was if it was feasible not knowing how much of the foundation was going to have to be taken off (at least on the immediate surface) to take out the vent.
Thanks, by the way...I was thinking today that the builders (I'm assuming it's the original vent) just used the cement to secure it to the foundation rather than mount it flush, then use concrete screws or an adhesive. I didn't know if there was an effective way to remove it, short of some minor demolition. Any suggested tool to use for it? Other than using a core bit for a new oil tank in my garage, I haven't had to do any sort of work to my foundation.