Our Wood with Controls models are add-on furnaces. The wood furnace heat flows into the same hot air ductwork as your existing furnace. The cold air return system is connected to your existing cold air system. The wood furnace heats your home and is controlled by a separate thermostat. It's not a problem.
Most people remove ashes every two to three weeks.
Certain wood species make more ashes. It's not messy at all if you follow the instructions. The ashes fall directly into the ash pan. After cooling for about 24 hours, the ash pan is removed and dumped into an appropriate metal container. Each furnace has a permanent manufacturers label and serial number riveted in place.