Where every figure on RainyDay.ie comes from: the sources we rely on, how running costs are worked out, how products are picked, and what we won't claim.
RainyDay.ie is written and edited by James Dunne. The site exists because most advice on damp and condensation online is written for UK homes, priced in pence and silent on Irish tenancy law.
Every guide here starts from Irish sources and Irish prices instead.
This page sets out how that works, so you can judge the advice for yourself.
Nothing here has been tested in our own homes
That's the first thing to know, and we'd rather say it plainly. We don't run product trials or claim to have lived with every machine we recommend.
What we do instead is read the evidence carefully, starting with manufacturers' published test figures and Irish public guidance. When a figure comes from a manufacturer, the guide says so.
When a manufacturer doesn't publish something that matters, such as a dehumidifier's wattage, the guide says that too, rather than guessing.
Who we listen to, in order
Irish public bodies come first. Where they don't cover a point, we look beyond Ireland, to European sources before anyone else. We don't use other review or affiliate sites as sources.
Irish sources we rely on most:
- The HSE and the Asthma Society of Ireland on health and mould.
- Citizens Information, the RTB and the Irish Statute Book on renting and minimum standards.
- The Department of Housing on ventilation, and Met Éireann on the Irish climate.
- ESB Networks and the Health and Safety Authority on power cuts and generator safety.
Beyond Ireland: Eurostat for electricity prices across the EU, and the World Health Organization's European office on dampness and health. The US Environmental Protection Agency's mould and moisture guidance fills a few gaps, such as the size of mould patch you can safely clean yourself. Where we use it, we say it's a US source.
How every euro figure is worked out
Every running cost on the site uses the same sum, and we show it:
watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × cent per kWh
The rates we use are a typical standard unit rate of 36.06c/kWh including VAT, the Irish average for September 2026, and a night rate of 15.37c/kWh, which is Energia's published 14.10c plus 9% VAT.
Irish suppliers changed their prices in July 2026 and will again, so we recheck both figures every quarter.
Where a manufacturer publishes wattage at several room temperatures, we use the figure that matches an Irish room, not the warmest one.
Our calculators let you put in your own wattage and the rate from your own bill, which will always be more accurate than any average.
How a product earns a place
A product only appears on RainyDay.ie if it clears four checks:
- It's genuinely available to Irish buyers. We check who sells it. Irish and EU sellers come first; stock sold and shipped by Amazon itself from the UK is used only when nothing comparable is available closer to home. Third-party sellers in the UK are left out.
- The maker publishes enough to judge it. Wattage and, for dehumidifiers, performance below 20°C. Gaps are pointed out on the page.
- It suits Irish conditions. Cold bedrooms and high electricity prices shape every pick.
- It earns its place over the alternatives. Most pages recommend two products at most, because a short list you can act on beats a long one you can't.
No brand pays to be included, and none sees a guide before it's published.
What we won't do
- Claim hands-on testing we haven't done.
- Copy running costs from UK reviews and convert the currency.
- Give legal or medical advice. On renting and health, we explain the general position and point you to the people who can advise on your case, such as Threshold or your GP.
- Let a commission decide a recommendation. Our affiliate disclosure explains how the site is funded.
When things change
Prices and tenancy rules both move. We recheck electricity rates every quarter and product availability whenever a guide is updated. When the law changes, as it did for rented homes in March 2026, we review the guides it affects.
If you spot something that's wrong or out of date, please let us know. Corrections are made as soon as they're confirmed.