COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Commitments
Purchase obligations	$ 15.6
Changes in the Carrying Amount of the Warranty Accrual
Beginning balance	8.2
Accruals related to product warranties	2.0
Reductions for payments made	(1.5)
Ending balance	$ 8.7
Minimum
Product Warranty Liability
Standard warranty obligation term (in years)	2 years
Standard installation warranty obligation term (in years)	1 year
Maximum
Product Warranty Liability
Standard warranty obligation term (in years)	5 years
Standard installation warranty obligation term (in years)	5 years

Standard Product Warranty, Installation Warranty, Term

No definition available.

Name:	fele_StandardProductWarrantyInstallationWarrantyTerm
Namespace Prefix:	fele_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Standard Product Warranty, Manufacturer Warranty, Term

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fele_StandardProductWarrantyManufacturerWarrantyTerm
Namespace Prefix:	fele_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermCommitmentExcludingUnconditionalPurchaseObligationAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The minimum amount the entity agreed to spend under the long-term purchase commitment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MovementInStandardAndExtendedProductWarrantyIncreaseDecreaseRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred through that date and payable for estimated claims under standard and extended warranty protection rights granted to customers.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68068213&loc=d3e12565-110249

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (c)(5)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68068213&loc=d3e12565-110249

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.15(5))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrual
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of decrease in the standard and extended product warranty accrual from payments made in cash or in kind to satisfy claims under the terms of the standard and extended product warranty.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualPayments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase in the standard and extended product warranty accrual from warranties issued.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualWarrantiesIssued
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyLiabilityLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: