On 10/07/18 23:02, Charlie Pridham wrote:
OK, this is nothing to do with gardening really but we have here at the
nursery a thermal transfer printer for plant labels, and very good it is
to - except if there is a power failure. A normal inkjet (along with the
computer) when a power cut happens, stay off when power is restored,
this thermal transfer printer tries to come back on, jams and burns one
of the spool motors out and costs us about £100 to sort out. Now on the
third event this year alone so getting a bit fed up, I know the obvious
answer is to simply shut it down each time after use, but sadly I often
forget - so is there any gizzmo that can be introduced between the
plug and the printer that would if the power is interrupted stay off
until I switch it back on? and if so what an earth is it called!!?

I believe that what you require is a "latching relay". You could make
one yourself - it depends on how good your wiring skills are. You need
something like this:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/SR501.html
Plus its base and a 230v rated push button.

One of the relay contacts is wired in series with your printer. The
other is wired in series with its own coil, with the push-button in
parallel to the relay contacts. When connected to the power, nothing
happens until you push the button, when the relay activates. When the
button is released, the relay stays powered. When the power fails, the
relay turns off, but won't be energised again until the button is pushed.

Other than that, you could ask in uk.d-i-y, as someone there might know
if one is available off-the-shelf, perhaps with a 3-pin plug/socket
built-in.

--

Jeff