ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2016	Apr. 02, 2016	Oct. 03, 2015	Oct. 01, 2016	Oct. 03, 2015	Jan. 02, 2016
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle
Income tax expense	$ 7,926		$ 5,656	$ 20,840	$ 7,634
Net income attributable to Franklin Electric Co., Inc.	$ 23,664		$ 20,825	$ 61,103	$ 56,784
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.51		$ 0.44	$ 1.29	$ 1.18
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.50		$ 0.43	$ 1.28	$ 1.17
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	46,900		47,300	46,700	47,800
Net cash from operating activities				$ 70,865	$ 60,341
Net cash from financing activities				(48,110)	$ (10,077)
Additional capital	$ 225,547			225,547		$ 216,472
Retained earnings	538,501			538,501		498,214
Debt issuance costs, net	$ 300			$ 300		300
Accounting Standards Update 2015-03 | Other assets and other current assets
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle
Debt issuance costs, net						(300)
Accounting Standards Update 2015-03 | Long-term debt
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle
Debt issuance costs, net						$ 300
Adjustments for new accounting principle, early adoption
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle
Income tax expense		$ 4,967
Net income attributable to Franklin Electric Co., Inc.		$ 13,445
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.28
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.28
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding		46,505
Net cash from operating activities		$ (384)
Net cash from financing activities		3,519
Additional capital		219,412
Retained earnings		502,500
Adjustments for new accounting principle, early adoption | As previously reported
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle
Income tax expense		4,955
Net income attributable to Franklin Electric Co., Inc.		$ 13,457
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.28
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.28
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding		46,445
Net cash from operating activities		$ (437)
Net cash from financing activities		3,572
Additional capital		219,400
Retained earnings		502,512
Adjustments for new accounting principle, early adoption | Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle
Income tax expense		12
Net income attributable to Franklin Electric Co., Inc.		$ (12)
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.00
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.00
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding		60
Net cash from operating activities		$ 53
Net cash from financing activities		(53)
Additional capital		12
Retained earnings		$ (12)