soft, raised surface upon cloth, mid-14c., downy plumage, from Anglo-French pyle or Middle Dutch pijl, both from Latin pilus a hair (source of Italian pelo, Old French pel). Phonological evidence rules out transmission of the English word via Old French cognate peil, poil. Meaning nap upon cloth is from 1560s.
Updated 01/08/17. 1  of 06. Gas Furnace Types and Efficiency Ratings BanksPhotos / Getty Images The gas furnace in your home is a critically important appliance and one you depend on to work reliably, efficiently and quietly. 2  of 06. Low Efficiency Furnace: 55% to 72% AFUE (obsolete technology) Characteristics. 3  of 06.
A furnace works by blowing heated air through ducts that deliver the warm air to rooms throughout the house via air registers or grills. This type of heating system is called a ducted warm-air or forced warm-air distribution system. It can be powered by electricity, natural gas, or fuel oil.Inside a gas-or oil-fired furnace, the fuel is mixed with air and burned. The flames heat a metal heat exchanger where the heat is transferred to air.he best gas furnaces and boilers today have efficiencies over 90%. The efficiency of a fossil-fuel furnace or boiler is a measure of the amount of useful heat produced per unit of input energy (fuel). Combustion efficiency is the simplest measure; it is just the systemâs efficiency while it is running.