dryer vent question

[af66]

I'm wondering what my options are with an outside metal dryer vent that's been cemented into the foundation of a raised ranch house. Here's my dilemma, last weekend, I noticed the flipper on the vent was sagging. Upon inspecting it a little closer, it turned out the clips that held the flipper to the vent had broken off, so I was left with an exposed vent pipe and no flipper to cover it. I was able to fashion a makeshift clip to the flipper and carefully trying to work it up in the downdraft enclosure of the vent, I was able to somehow snap the flipper back into place. Problem is, since the vent is cemented into the foundation, if the problem occurs again and for some reason, I'm not able to snap the flipper back in, what are my options? Do I somehow take tin snips and cut the walls of the vent away (I can't seem to do anything with the rear part of the vent that's cemented in the foundation, by the way) and then find a different style vent and contact adhesive it do the foundation? Also, since this is probably a 30+ year old vent, do they sell just the metal flipper and clips? I'm open to any suggestions anyone will have. Thanks.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Start from scratch. Rip out the whole thing and do it right. You've got plenty of better choices for sealing around the thing, without using "cement" or whatever was used before. And no, they do not sell just the parts.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Flipper is sagging? His fin is going? Since he's not been on TV, his health has waned.

Oh, you mean the flapper.

Pretty much the best way to go. It may be a real tough job getting the old one out, but the new one should slide in with minimal trouble. You can use silicone to adhere the front of the vent to the wall for a good seal. I've never seen parts for these things so unless you can make a spring, you are pretty much screwed.

[Bob F]

Go to the hardware stores, and find a vent which consists of a tube connected to a vent in a removable fashion. Remove the tube, and connect the vent to the tube you have. A little caulk might help hold it.

Bob

[Nancy Young]

"Bob F" wrote

That's exactly what I wound up doing when my dryer vent flipper broke and turned the vent into a wildlife highway. Bought a louvre type vent cover, ditched the metal tube part that came with it and caulked it onto the existing pipe. Hardest part was finding the thing at the hardware store.

nancy