TV aerials can last a very long time before needing to be replaced. However, if the TV aerial is damaged, or old & no longer suitable for the frequency being transmitted, then it will require replacing.
The quick answer to do TV aerials wear out, is Yes, they do.
TV aerials wear out due to a few reasons, they are
- Damage due to being exposed to weather and storms
- Frequency from the transmitter changes making the old aerial redundant
TV Aerial Damaged due to the Weather
If an aerial is fitted externally on a chimney stack or a outside wall, it will become exposed to the weather. A good quality TV antenna should withstand the ravages of the UK weather for upwards of 15 years, even lasting past 30 years. Eventually though, it will succomb to the weather, get damaged & stop working, showing the no signal banner on the TV. The damage usually manifests itself as water ingress or metal fatigue. Either way the aerial is beyond repair and needs replacing.
Transmitter Frequency has Changed
Another reason why a TV aerial will no longer work is occasionally due to the Transmitter Tower changing the frequencies. This affects the frequencies on which the television channels are broadcast on. This rarely happens. It is often due to mobile phone transmissions requiring the same frequencies as the ones for TV. When this happens, the frequencies change and it is usually broadcast on lower frequencies.
This can cause problems for some aerials if they have been designed to filter out the lower frequencies in favour of higher. If this happens, the only way to fix the problem is to replace it with a new aerial designed to receive wide or full band frequencies
