Looking at putting a new gas furnace and a new A/C unit in place.

92% 80k BTU Carrier
13 Seer slim A/C Carrier
With installation at

At $8400

With Day and Night it's $500 less.

Is Carrier worth it or doesn't it matter what brand to go with?

As long as you are getting the same warranty. That's about all that maters. Buying carrier is just paying extra for the name.

Carrier and Day and Night are basically made by the same parent company. The Carrier will probably have more do dads like low and high pressure safety controlers etc. I would go with the Carrier for the extra 500.00 if there is a difference in the control system. Without exact model numbers there is no way to know.

Also rember the more controls, the more things that can go wrong with it.

In one respect the more controls can possibly cause a limited amount of additional problems but for the most part the more controls mean much better protection for the equipment which no matter how you look at it is expensive to start with.

With over 50 years actual experience in this industry I could not begin to count the number of lost compressors due to the lack of a simple low or high pressure control. While the compressor has a built in electrical overload by the time it is put into use due to a fault condition it is to late and replacement costs for a compressor are very high indeed.

In my classes at the university I always stress to be sure the low and high pressure controls are included with the unit weather they are installed at the factory or added on during the install and the same goes for a real start capacitor and correct start relay if your new unit has a reciprocating style compreessor/piston style pump being used with the mandatory thermostatic expansion valve for energy and operating efficiency.

There are many opinions as to the proper methods and materials that need to be used for a quality HVAC system. I have always thought of the customer first when selecting equipment and adding necessary accessories for its proper operation and longivity. My home is a prime example of a quality install with the proper equipment. My main structure unit was made in 1978 and still runs like the day it was new with the same original compressor and condenser fan motor. My other two smaller units were made in 1985 and both of those also have the original compressors and condenser fan motors. All the units were installed to the factory specifications and time delays,hard start kits, and high and low pressure controls added. They also have a yearly check up and service.

The point I am trying to make is HVAC equipment can last a long time if properly installed and serviced so you might want to ask your contractor about these extra devices unless he plans on installing equipment that already has them or already planned to add them in the price you were quoted.

“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
Will Rogers

Also one would think there should be more than a $500 difference between a top brand name unit and a contractor style unit.

Also are they selling you a heatpump or just a ac unit? $8400 seams high. Are you getting all new ductwork as well?

My question,, the two quotes,are they coming from the same contracter,, or different companies?