Financial Statements of Parent Company Guarantor - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 28, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jun. 29, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 174.4	$ 265.1	$ 253.1	$ 261.3
Accounts and notes receivable, net	1,302.2	1,334.3
Inventories	1,264.3	1,243.3
Other current assets	425.0	389.4
Total current assets	3,165.9	3,232.1
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,151.6	1,170.0
Other assets
Goodwill	5,097.1	5,134.2
Intangibles, net	1,718.3	1,776.1
Other non-current assets	483.9	430.9
Total other assets	7,299.3	7,341.2
Total assets	11,616.8	11,743.3
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings	6.1	2.5
Accounts payable	587.0	596.6
Employee compensation and benefits	298.5	347.1
Other current liabilities	885.5	664.0
Total current liabilities	1,777.1	1,610.2
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	2,739.0	2,552.6
Pension and other post-retirement compensation and benefits	291.4	324.8
Deferred tax liabilities	608.6	580.6
Other non-current liabilities	481.9	457.4
Total liabilities	5,898.0	5,525.6
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	5,718.8	6,095.3
Noncontrolling interest	0	122.4
Total equity	5,718.8	6,217.7	5,951.2	6,487.5
Total liabilities and equity	11,616.8	11,743.3
Parent Company Guarantor
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0.5
Accounts and notes receivable, net	0	2.9
Inventories		0
Other current assets	0.6	1.4
Total current assets	0.6	4.8
Property, plant and equipment, net		0
Other assets
Investments in subsidiaries	5,943.2	6,224.7
Other non-current assets	31.6	31.6
Total other assets	5,974.8	6,256.3
Total assets	5,975.4	6,261.1
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings		0
Accounts payable	0	48.1
Employee compensation and benefits	0
Other current liabilities	237.1	99.6
Total current liabilities	237.1	148.2
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	1.9
Other non-current liabilities	17.6	17.6
Total liabilities	256.6	165.8
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	5,718.8	6,095.3
Total equity		6,095.3
Total liabilities and equity	5,975.4	6,261.1
Guarantor Subsidiary [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0
Accounts and notes receivable, net	0
Other current assets	14.8
Total current assets	14.8
Other assets
Investments in subsidiaries	6,092.3
Other non-current assets	0
Total other assets	6,092.3
Total assets	6,107.1
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	0
Employee compensation and benefits	0.5
Other current liabilities	3.7
Total current liabilities	4.2
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	159.7
Other non-current liabilities	0
Total liabilities	163.9
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	5,943.2
Total liabilities and equity	6,107.1
Subsidiary Issuer
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	47.0
Accounts and notes receivable, net	0	4.0
Inventories		0
Other current assets	1.9	0.6
Total current assets	1.9	51.6
Property, plant and equipment, net		0
Other assets
Investments in subsidiaries	8,029.5	8,066.6
Other non-current assets	1,757.2	1,302.7
Total other assets	9,786.7	9,369.3
Total assets	9,788.6	9,420.9
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings		0
Accounts payable	0	8.6
Other current liabilities	14.9	11.7
Total current liabilities	14.9	20.3
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	2,574.2	2,401.9
Deferred tax liabilities	2.2
Total liabilities	2,591.3	2,424.4
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	7,197.3	6,996.5
Total equity		6,996.5
Total liabilities and equity	9,788.6	9,420.9
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	174.4	217.6	249.6	261.3
Accounts and notes receivable, net	1,302.2	1,391.0
Inventories	1,264.3	1,243.3
Other current assets	426.2	387.4
Total current assets	3,167.1	3,239.3
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,151.6	1,170.0
Other assets
Goodwill	5,097.1	5,134.2
Intangibles, net	1,718.3	1,776.1
Other non-current assets	447.1	393.3
Total other assets	7,262.5	7,303.6
Total assets	11,581.2	11,712.9
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt and short-term borrowings	6.1	2.5
Accounts payable	587.0	603.5
Employee compensation and benefits	298.0	346.6
Other current liabilities	648.3	552.7
Total current liabilities	1,539.4	1,505.3
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	1,755.2	1,447.4
Pension and other post-retirement compensation and benefits	291.4	324.8
Deferred tax liabilities	606.4	578.4
Other non-current liabilities	464.3	439.8
Total liabilities	4,656.7	4,295.7
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	6,924.5	7,294.8
Noncontrolling interest		122.4
Total equity		7,417.2
Total liabilities and equity	11,581.2	11,712.9
Eliminations
Current assets
Accounts and notes receivable, net	0	(63.6)
Other current assets	(18.5)	0
Total current assets	(18.5)	(63.6)
Other assets
Investments in subsidiaries	(20,065.0)	(14,291.3)
Other non-current assets	(1,752.0)	(1,296.7)
Total other assets	(21,817.0)	(15,588.0)
Total assets	(21,835.5)	(15,651.6)
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	0	(63.6)
Other current liabilities	(18.5)	0
Total current liabilities	(18.5)	(63.6)
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	(1,752.0)	(1,296.7)
Other non-current liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(1,770.5)	(1,360.3)
Equity
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair Ltd. and subsidiaries	(20,065.0)	(14,291.3)
Total equity		(14,291.3)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (21,835.5)	$ (15,651.6)