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I currently heat my cabin with a conventional wood stove. It is a very efficient stove, and once started, an armload of wood will burn all night long (6-8 hrs). The reason for this efficiency is that I can close the damper(s) and the wood/coals will burn slowly all night long. This seems to be the opposite of a "rocket stove", which burns quickly and stores the heat in a thermal mass. I've studied several designs and am planning on building an experimental model soon.
With my (current) wood stove I have to clean out the ashes/coals every day or two. (I use these coals to heat my chicken cage for another day or two by placing them under the cage before dumping the ashes on my compost pile). Most of the rocket stove designs I've seen have no provision(door) for emptying the ashes. I know on a larger scale use this must be addressed. It seems to me that access through the chimney or feed tube would make it difficult to empty the ash. I have thought about modifying the popular design to include a removable ash can or access door below the rocket stove burning chamber for easy cleaning.
This is my question: Does anyone use a rocket stove stove exclusively for heating a (900=1100 sq ft) home? How is the issue of cleaning handled?

You have the right idea. Yes, people have done this on a large scale to heat their homes.

I have actually seen commercial versions, but they are ultra expensive. Indians used a sort of rocket stove dug into the earth long ago.

The best way is to make a pull out ash tray underneath the air intake of the rocket stove.

The stove works by having an air intake underneath the fuel source. Just placing a pull out drawer underneath will take care of cleaning.