He repairs the fridges and freezers at Migros stores

A bag packed with screwdrivers, scissors and cable ties lies on the floor next to a refrigerated cabinet. “I always like to have everything with me,” Samidin Badalli says.

Today, the refrigeration engineer is working at the store on Kreuzplatz in Zurich, where the fan in a chilled cabinet has broken down.

Badalli is the deputy head of the facility management refrigeration team at the Migros Zurich Cooperative. As such, he is responsible for ensuring that the fridges and freezers at Migros stores work properly.

Migros has people who can repair any type of fault. If a light bulb blows, an electrician replaces it. If a shelf starts wobbling, the maintenance team fixes it. And when a chilled display cabinet breaks down, the refrigeration team is called in.

Using a smoke machine

Before unscrewing the panelling, the refrigeration specialist tests whether the fan on the refrigeration unit really is faulty. A handy smoke machine is used for this: “It’s the same smoke you get in a disco,” Badalli explains with a broad smile.

At the touch of a button, a jet of smoke shoots out of the compact box in his hand. The chiller cabinet containing spaetzle and ready-to-eat pasta fills up with smoke from top to bottom. But not evenly: that’s how Badalli knows that one of the fans in the system is no longer working.

After switching off the cabinet, the 47-year-old reaches for a screwdriver and loosens the panelling before removing the defective fan. Every action is performed meticulously and with care.

Problem-solving

Badalli has been working at Migros for the past 23 years. He joined the company straight after completing his apprenticeship as a refrigeration fitter. In 2010, he underwent further training as a maintenance specialist. “I love my job,” he says. “I have to find new solutions to problems every day. I like that.”

Whenever he is faced with a fault, he must consider a number of factors. “Open chiller cabinets are particularly challenging,” Badalli notes as he programmes the new fan using a special device. The whole environment must be considered when repairing chilled display cabinets.

“There's a lot of draught near store entrances, and this can adversely affect refrigeration and cause problems,” Badalli explains. He looks carefully at the programming device in his hand. The fan speed must be exactly right. If not, the system will cool incorrectly and goods could be damaged.

Part of his job is telling store management when refrigerated cabinets are placed in unsuitable locations at the store. To avoid continually wasting lots of energy, they must be moved or replaced by a model with a lid.

Having prepared the new fan, Badalli expertly inserts it in place and screws the cover back on. “Let's hope it’s fine now,” he says, switching on the cabinet. He uses the smoke machine again. This time, the smoke distributes evenly between the packets of spaetzle and pasta.

Equipment must be able to run 24/7

He can't quite go yet: an open chiller cabinet on the upper floor needs a follow-up check. “I had to reset everything here last week,” he says. Badalli gets his smoke machine out again. The smoke quickly disperses throughout the cheese in the cabinet. The refrigeration specialist is satisfied: everything is working properly.

Once everything is as required, Badalli drives to another store nearby. “I always plan my day so that I don’t have to travel around too much,” he says. “I try to be efficient.”

Badalli sometimes gets emergency calls that have to be dealt with immediately. The refrigeration specialist is on call every few weeks and must sometimes also be available at night. That’s because the refrigeration units at Migros stores run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Badalli now heads off to Meilen and Erlenbach. Refrigerated cabinets at both stores require attention.