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[Psychobones]

So I've got a pair of dwarven reactors running two mist machines, but every so often the reactors randomly stop turning. I can't seem to figure out why. What would cause them to stop?

[Aramco]

Do they have an adequate power-supply? If the amount of power generated fluctuates, that may be the problem.

[Hans Lemurson]

Has all their water evaporated?  Any time you have 1/7 water anywhere there's a chance it will evaporate, so most water-reactors have a very slight continual loss rate of water.

[Khift]

Are you overtaxing the power reactors? In a normal two waterwheel reactor I won't use more than one waterwheel's amount of power; every once in a while one of the water wheels won't have enough flow under it and won't produce power for a frame or two, resulting in the whole contraption stopping if you're unlucky. Usually when designing power reactors I only use as much power as 3/4ths of the water wheels can produce, rounded down, just to prevent any issues. This is especially relevant with millstones because millstones will cancel all production jobs on them if unpowered for even a single frame -- even if the water reactor starts up again immediately afterward.

[Hans Lemurson]

Useful information.  Much more useful than my evaporation answer!

[Sphalerite]

I have just built an oceanside water reactor which destroys water.  I'm baffled as to what's going on - I fill the entire thing manually till all tiles are at 6/7, then start it up.  Very soon all the tiles inside the machine drop to 3/4 and the machine shuts down.  It's way too fast for the water to be evaporating, and there's no massive leak of water pouring out into the surrounding fortress, so I can only assume that the water is somehow being destroyed in the process of being pumped.

[Stardrinker]

@OP, problem is most likely a combination of what previous two posters brought up. Evaporation leading to power dips leading to shutdown.

@#5 Sounds like evaporation. Can be quite fast in hot biomes.

[Hans Lemurson]

Outdoors evaporation in hot climates is vicious.  If you're making water reactors outdoors, you should probably give them a roof.  Or do the proper dwarven thing and build them undergound.

[Aramco]

Outdoors evaporation in hot climates is vicious.  If you're making water reactors outdoors, you should probably give them a roof.  Or do the proper dwarven thing and build them undergound.

Under a roof and underground.

[Psychobones]

The reactors for mine, are powering a mist generator, so when the reactor turns off, the water in the mist generator falls, and it's pretty annoying to reset the whole thing. What are my options to solve this issue assuming it's evaporation and one waterwheel not spinning for a frame?

[Stardrinker]

Seeing as you have an unlimited water supply, you can add a pressure plate in the water area somewhere that won't fluctuate in water depth much (you might need to make a buffer area specifically for this). Set the pressure plate to open a floodgate/door when water gets too low (0-5 trigger setting should be ok but you'll need to judge it for yourself) and it will automatically let in some water when needed. Building floors on the Z-level above the area can help if you don't like it triggering more often than needed but not really necessary in unlimited water situations.