If you are financing over a period of time, how much more per month will it be for the extra $300? Not much I assume. Now, grab a salesman (saleswoman-they have them now), and demand to know what is meant by SEER and what IS the difference between a 16 and 19? I know but you don't. You will be getting a ten year warranty with a new Carrier system, I assume? That is best. Parts are very expensive in all the new brands these days. Parts and labor warrantys are good, I think. You started out posting about the outside unit where the compressor is dead but now say Carrier infinity system ($9,000) with extras. So now you are talking about replacing both the inside and outside units plus some better ductwork (sounds like yours is too small)? Doesn't sound like such a bad price now. Especially if it is the Carrier 10 yr parts and labor warranty. Knock hubby in the head and tell him to wake up.

If the cap made the compressor run, how long did it run before blowing the cap? It sounds like the compressor needs a hard start kit along with a new capacitor. The compressor may have been ok, or may have a weak motor, but if it runs, it runs. If the valves are bad, and it doesn't compress, the compressor is bad. Replace the cap first, and add a hard start kit. If this blows, then onsider replacing the compressor. Many compressors have a 5 year warrantee, so the cost is in labor only. Depending on your area, $550 sounds like a warrantee compressor. The price for labor sounds ok.

Best Practice: First, they should prepare the system before brazing by removing the drier inside the condenser & install brazed copper tubing in its place. Then a new properly sized filter drier should be installed on the liquid line exterior of the condenser. If it is a copper coil they can purge the system with dry nitrogen & then flow it at just under 3-psig while they braze the hole & the other changes. Then the system needs to be purged again & double or triple evacuated down to 500 microns, then down to 400 microns & see how well it holds. Then they can weigh in a proper charge according to the size & length of the refrigerant lines. Then after checking the airflow CFM & cleanliness of the coils & blower wheel blades, they can then use superheat, & subcooling if a TXV metering device, to balance the charge to the conditions of the heatload. This is the "Best Practice," doubt they will do the practice to that extent. - udarrell Here is a link that might be useful: Balancing the Refrigerant Charge to normal load conditions

"In terms of the Bosch I doubt it would make much difference if you sized it for heating... unless you needed more heat than a 5 ton unit can produce." Name plate capacity of a heat pump refers to cooling mode only. The term "ton" refers to a ton of refrigeration which is 12,000 BTU/hr. Heating capacity is usually referred to in BTU/hr. The heating capacity of a heat pump declines as a function of decreasing temperature, so it can't be labelled without defining the outdoor conditions. Stated otherwise, a 5 ton heat pump does not have the same heating capacity as a 60,000 BTU/hr furnace--the capacity of which is independent of outdoor conditions. "However, the Bosch can deliver heat down to 5F." That statement can be a bit misleading. While a particular heat pump may be able to extract useful heat down to 5F, that doesn't guarantee it will be able to do so at a sufficient rate to meet the required heating demand without supplemental (backup) heating e.g., electric resistance heat strips. When evaluating a heat pump in heating mode, we're interested in determining the balance point--the outdoor temperature at which the heating load of the home and heating capacity of the system are equal. Below that temperature supplemental heating will be required. For most heat pump systems and most homes (excluding uninsulated homes and super-insulated homes) the balance point usually falls in the 30 F to 35 F range. To be clear, that doesn't mean a particular heat pump won't extract useful heat below that temperature---it just means the amount of heat won't be sufficient to meet the total heating load required and backup heat will be needed. I suggest you consult with an HVAC design professional who can calculate the heating and cooling loads for your particular home and your particular climate zone. Those can be used to select the appropriate equipment and to design the duct work if you elect to go with a ducted system. And, for what it's worth, mike_home has been a contributor to this forum for a number of years. In general, his posts suggest that he knows what he doesn't know. That's more than I can say for some "professionals" here on houzz.com