Financial Statements of Parent Company Guarantor - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 29, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 211.1	$ 265.1	$ 214.5	$ 261.3
Accounts and notes receivable, net	1,410.7	1,334.3
Inventories	1,271.6	1,243.3
Other current assets	411.9	389.4
Total current assets	3,305.3	3,232.1
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,162.0	1,170.0
Other assets
Goodwill	5,098.9	5,134.2
Intangibles, net	1,747.7	1,776.1
Other non-current assets	452.6	430.9
Total other assets	7,299.2	7,341.2
Total assets	11,766.5	11,743.3
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings	2.8	2.5
Accounts payable	575.4	596.6
Employee compensation and benefits	294.6	347.1
Other current liabilities	655.3	664.0
Total current liabilities	1,528.1	1,610.2
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	2,933.8	2,552.6
Pension and other post-retirement compensation and benefits	318.6	324.8
Deferred tax liabilities	599.5	580.6
Other non-current liabilities	450.2	457.4
Total liabilities	5,830.2	5,525.6
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	5,936.3	6,095.3
Noncontrolling interest	0	122.4
Total equity	5,936.3	6,217.7	6,351.5	6,487.5
Total liabilities and equity	11,766.5	11,743.3
Parent Company Guarantor
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0.2	0.5
Accounts and notes receivable, net	14.7	2.9
Inventories		0
Other current assets	0.9	1.4
Total current assets	15.8	4.8
Property, plant and equipment, net		0
Other assets
Investments in subsidiaries	6,064.8	6,224.7
Other non-current assets	31.6	31.6
Total other assets	6,096.4	6,256.3
Total assets	6,112.2	6,261.1
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings		0
Accounts payable	108.5	48.1
Employee compensation and benefits	0.1
Other current liabilities	49.7	99.6
Total current liabilities	158.3	148.2
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	0
Other non-current liabilities	17.6	17.6
Total liabilities	175.9	165.8
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	5,936.3	6,095.3
Total equity		6,095.3
Total liabilities and equity	6,112.2	6,261.1
Subsidiary Issuer
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0.4	47.0
Accounts and notes receivable, net	10.2	4.0
Inventories		0
Other current assets	1.2	0.6
Total current assets	11.8	51.6
Property, plant and equipment, net		0
Other assets
Investments in subsidiaries	8,105.1	8,066.6
Other non-current assets	1,700.8	1,302.7
Total other assets	9,805.9	9,369.3
Total assets	9,817.7	9,420.9
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings		0
Accounts payable	2.9	8.6
Other current liabilities	13.9	11.7
Total current liabilities	16.8	20.3
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	2,769.3	2,401.9
Deferred tax liabilities	2.9
Total liabilities	2,789.0	2,424.4
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	7,028.7	6,996.5
Total equity		6,996.5
Total liabilities and equity	9,817.7	9,420.9
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	210.5	217.6	214.5	261.3
Accounts and notes receivable, net	1,522.1	1,391.0
Inventories	1,271.6	1,243.3
Other current assets	409.8	387.4
Total current assets	3,414.0	3,239.3
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,162.0	1,170.0
Other assets
Goodwill	5,098.9	5,134.2
Intangibles, net	1,747.7	1,776.1
Other non-current assets	415.3	393.3
Total other assets	7,261.9	7,303.6
Total assets	11,837.9	11,712.9
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings	2.8	2.5
Accounts payable	600.3	603.5
Employee compensation and benefits	294.5	346.6
Other current liabilities	591.7	552.7
Total current liabilities	1,489.3	1,505.3
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	1,859.6	1,447.4
Pension and other post-retirement compensation and benefits	318.6	324.8
Deferred tax liabilities	596.6	578.4
Other non-current liabilities	432.6	439.8
Total liabilities	4,696.7	4,295.7
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	7,141.2	7,294.8
Noncontrolling interest		122.4
Total equity		7,417.2
Total liabilities and equity	11,837.9	11,712.9
Eliminations
Current assets
Accounts and notes receivable, net	(136.3)	(63.6)
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(136.3)	(63.6)
Other assets
Investments in subsidiaries	(14,169.9)	(14,291.3)
Other non-current assets	(1,695.1)	(1,296.7)
Total other assets	(15,865.0)	(15,588.0)
Total assets	(16,001.3)	(15,651.6)
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	(136.3)	(63.6)
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(136.3)	(63.6)
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	(1,695.1)	(1,296.7)
Other non-current liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(1,831.4)	(1,360.3)
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	(14,169.9)	(14,291.3)
Total equity		(14,291.3)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (16,001.3)	$ (15,651.6)