I have not received the email regarding getting new batteries from ST. All four of my batteries leaked. I have been using it without batteries since I found the leaks the a few days ago.
Samsung has a lot of bad press with cell phone batteries lately and now this.
my email said the upgrade was to "the latest firmware (version 0.16.12)"
Just checked in the IDE and I now have Firmware Version 000.016.00013
What did everyone else get?
I have the email about the hub update, but not the email stating they would replace leaked batteries that jhamstead showed.
Be careful removing the leaky batteries! Mine were actually still WET when I removed them! Donāt make my mistake, wear protective gloves.
Iām thinking of doing a teardown of my hub for a proper cleaning. Anyone tear their hub down? Did the crud make it past the battery bay?
Add me to the list. 3 of my 4 batteries were leaking and corroded. Iām already on a UPS, but will be leaving the batteries out until there is a definitive cure for the problem.
The firmware released today is supposed to address the battery issues.
Thanks. I see that I miss a lot of things when I havenāt visited this site for a few weeks.
For cleaning up the battery acid, a paste made of baking soda and water will neutralize the acid. Rub it on the white residue and then wipe clean with a damp cloth. Make sure the hub is completely dried after cleaning.
My hub and batteries are less than 6 months old. The hub battery compartment is trashed as well as the leaky batteries! Add me to the list, I checked them after I got supports email.
Actually, the batteries are alkaline, so to neutralize it, you need to apply acid, e.g. lemon juice or vinegar.
Youāre right.
Here is the correct info for AA batteries:
Potassium hydroxide is a caustic agent that can irritate the respiratory system, eyes, and skin, you may want to take a precautionary extra step of using vinegar or lemon juice (both acids) to neutralize the alkaline build-up. Use a Q-tip or an old toothbrush and carefully wipe away.
I purchased my SmartThings V2 hub in December (less than 2 months old), and got the recent email about the firmware update and battery issue. I just pulled my batteries out, and sure enough, there was white residue everywhere. I spent the last 30 minutes cleaning the battery compartment using vinegar and alcohol, so Iām not a super happy camper right now. 
Sure enough, my batteries popped as well.
Mine too. I just emailed support that I wanted a replacement as I still hear something rattling in my hub even after cleaning the battery tray (the gasses may have corroded something else). My hub is a few months old. Obviously a design flaw that warrants a recall. I see this post had been around for a while. Smartthings should have sent an email sooner. Very frustrated.
Wow - my hub (and damage) looks almost identical to yours! I think I plugged mine in at Thanksgiving, so about 2 months for me also. I havenāt even begun to think about the cleanup involved. What a mess.
FWIW, I checked my hub after receiving the ST email and reading through this thread, only to find that I had apparently had the foresight to install rechargeable Energizers during initial set up (just before Christmas). No leaks and no warmer than the surrounding hub. The hub is also on a UPS.
Seems this set up allowed me to dodge a bullet, tho I havenāt tested the batts for voltage. That said, can any of you engineering types speak to potential problems with such a set up? Seems now is as good a time as any to evaluateā¦
Well, the batteries corroded because the hub was sending a current to them. When your rechargeable batteries receive a current, they charge (assuming itās the proper voltage). A good charger stops sending a current when the batteries are fully charger, the ST hub didnāt.
So by sending a constant current to your rechargeable batteries after theyāre fully charged, you might be damaging them.
Edit: Donāt believe this post!
Someone else measured it and said it was a constant draw, hence the batteries went flat, developed gas inside and then ruptured. Mine certainly were dead flat after just 2-3 months. Samsung also notified about parasitic draw and that the latest firmware fixed a ābattery drainā.
Oops! Sounds like I got tit the other way around 
