What size heat exchanger is required to cool/heat an apartment of around 3/400 m3, divided into living-dining room (140 m3) and 4 smaller rooms (2beds @ 40m3 and bathroom (30 m3) and entrance hall (40 m3) - all figs approx. Locale: 500m altitude, foothills of the Alps.

Who are the best makers of this equipment (I only know the names of Mitsubishi and Fujitsu)? What is the likely cost level of the suggested unit (I need to check if any quotesw received are OK or rip/offs.

Reason. The ancient underfloor iron pipe heating has finally started leaking. Ripping up and relaying the existing marble flooring is now unpayably expensive, and is not covered by the building insurance.

Thanks and regards, H. Gessler.

( quote) Who are the best makers of this equipment (I only know the names of Mitsubishi and Fujitsu)? What is the likely cost level of the suggested unit (I need to check if any quotesw received are OK or rip/offs.

The makers of equipment and availabilty in your area are what you need to get quotes on,what we have in the U.S.A.would be much different

The cost in every area would be much different also,, You need to get local quotes and estimates for the installation (labor) costs also

Usually European and UK prices equate to about 1 GBP or 1 EUR per 1 USD.

More important is the BTU requirement of the apartment, which governs the sizes of the equipment parts. That is what I also need to establish, because in some matters "specialists" like to over-specify to increase revenue. I am prepared to over-specify to increase safety margin, reliability etc. but I like to know I am doing it. Since most US construction is skimpier than European, the US figures should give ample leeway for equivalent building volumes here.

(I say skimpier because my Uncle's house on Long Island was just that on his say-so, and he had it built- He was an immigrant from Europe.)

You wouldn`t want this skimpy junk we have in US,so would be better off not comparing prices