(...)but I have to readjust the pH back to the set level of 7.2 by trial and error a few mills at a time using the HCl.
I would strongly recommend to keep up with this procedure, as the buffer capacity (most likely from hydrogencarbonate)*
) of your "untreated" 14 m³ of water (i.e. before you add the NaOCl) is unknown, but relevant if we're talking pH 7.2 as target. Furthermore, you're close to the buffer point of OCl
- (pKa HOCl 7.54) , which makes calculations a bit more complicated, still
Ignoring the influence of HCO
3-, as a theoretical exercise you would approach such a calculation by using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation with NaOCl
but then again: in reality you can't ignore it, as HCO
3- is an ampholyte (pKa1 6.35 , pKa2 10.33), hence forms kind of a buffer in it's own right (pH ~ 8.3), which additionally is (as you reported pH 7.2) a bit on the acid side due to additional CO
2 in the game.
so: you might wish to add the bulk of HCl you usually add in one serving, yes, but then you'd better approach the desired final pH in small steps, as the initial buffer capacity of your water is unknown, and also might be different with every refill of your pool
regards
Ingo
*
)I am naming this species as a representative of all those carbonate / carbondioxide ... equilibriums involved, as calcium hydrogencarbonate most probably is the major source of the pH in your freshwater