I blow out the chiller with air to clear as much water as possible.
Why? Only thing I could think of is cold climates with hard freezes.
An abundance of caution? I don't know. Just seems like a good idea and I have a compressor so why not. A fair amount of water comes out.
Good point to leave the hoses on when they are not leaking. Feel like a bit of a moron now!!! Would it be possible to put something better on there that was leak proof and that could be easily disassembled?
There are chillers with hose connections on the copper line. I think they're soldered on. Mine ain't got those.