Industry Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 28, 2013	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Percentage of net consolidated sales threshold constituting a major customer (in hundredths)		10.00%
Cost of acquisition		$ 2,158,541,000	$ 2,189,938,000	$ 2,417,797,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		2,158,541,000	2,189,938,000	2,417,797,000
Cost of goods sold		1,862,089,000	1,904,463,000	2,115,677,000
Depreciation and amortization		32,394,000	31,495,000	36,865,000
Selling, general, and administrative expense		134,914,000	129,456,000	135,953,000
Litigation settlement			(4,050,000)	(10,500,000)
Insurance settlement		(106,332,000)	(1,500,000)	0
Gain on sale of plastic fittings manufacturing assets	(39,800,000)	(39,765,000)	0	0
Impairment charges		4,304,000	0	0
Severance		0	3,369,000	0
Operating income		270,937,000	126,705,000	139,802,000
Interest expense		(3,990,000)	(6,890,000)	(11,553,000)
Other income, net		4,451,000	539,000	1,912,000
Income before income taxes		271,398,000	120,354,000	130,161,000
Expenditures for long-lived assets		65,320,000	65,457,000	25,633,000
Segment assets		1,247,767,000	1,104,155,000	1,347,604,000
United Kingdom [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net assets of foreign operations		108,200,000
Mexico [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net assets of foreign operations		45,500,000
Luxembourg [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net assets of foreign operations		59,500,000
China [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net assets of foreign operations		22,700,000
Segment, Geographical, Groups of Countries, Group One [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		2,158,541,000	2,189,938,000	2,417,797,000
Long-lived assets		373,050,000	356,961,000	320,905,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		2,158,541,000	2,189,938,000	2,417,797,000
Segment, Geographical, Groups of Countries, Group One [Member] | United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		1,676,385,000	1,696,589,000	1,830,001,000
Long-lived assets		325,667,000	306,023,000	267,060,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		1,676,385,000	1,696,589,000	1,830,001,000
Segment, Geographical, Groups of Countries, Group One [Member] | United Kingdom [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		229,659,000	234,684,000	272,809,000
Long-lived assets		22,159,000	23,496,000	23,962,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		229,659,000	234,684,000	272,809,000
Segment, Geographical, Groups of Countries, Group One [Member] | Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		252,497,000	258,665,000	314,987,000
Long-lived assets		25,224,000	27,442,000	29,883,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		252,497,000	258,665,000	314,987,000
Tube and Fittings [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		972,107,000	986,825,000	1,082,150,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		972,107,000	986,825,000	1,082,150,000
Brass Rod and Forgings [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		553,896,000	583,940,000	662,369,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		553,896,000	583,940,000	662,369,000
OEM Components, Tube & Assemblies [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		337,772,000	335,461,000	401,623,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		337,772,000	335,461,000	401,623,000
Valves and Plumbing Specialties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		239,822,000	231,278,000	217,985,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		239,822,000	231,278,000	217,985,000
Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		54,944,000	52,434,000	53,670,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		54,944,000	52,434,000	53,670,000
Plumbing and Refrigeration Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		1,225,306,000	1,238,230,000	1,330,435,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		1,225,306,000	1,238,230,000	1,330,435,000
Cost of goods sold		1,043,059,000	1,060,755,000	1,139,932,000
Depreciation and amortization		17,117,000	16,513,000	20,947,000
Selling, general, and administrative expense		85,471,000	75,448,000	84,795,000
Litigation settlement			0	0
Insurance settlement		(103,895,000)	(1,500,000)
Gain on sale of plastic fittings manufacturing assets		(39,765,000)
Impairment charges		4,173,000
Severance			0
Operating income		219,146,000	87,014,000	84,761,000
Expenditures for long-lived assets		47,222,000	24,030,000	12,686,000
Segment assets		625,371,000	531,429,000	532,458,000
OEM Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		947,784,000	974,606,000	1,119,796,000
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		947,784,000	974,606,000	1,119,796,000
Cost of goods sold		833,518,000	866,404,000	1,007,654,000
Depreciation and amortization		13,025,000	13,435,000	14,634,000
Selling, general, and administrative expense		24,479,000	27,680,000	24,838,000
Litigation settlement			0	0
Insurance settlement		0	0
Gain on sale of plastic fittings manufacturing assets		0
Impairment charges		131,000
Severance			0
Operating income		76,631,000	67,087,000	72,670,000
Expenditures for long-lived assets		14,845,000	24,137,000	12,586,000
Segment assets		305,052,000	290,058,000	296,997,000
Corporate and Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of acquisition		(14,549,000)	(22,898,000)	(32,434,000)
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Cost of acquisition		(14,549,000)	(22,898,000)	(32,434,000)
Cost of goods sold		(14,488,000)	(22,696,000)	(31,909,000)
Depreciation and amortization		2,252,000	1,547,000	1,284,000
Selling, general, and administrative expense		24,964,000	26,328,000	26,320,000
Litigation settlement			(4,050,000)	(10,500,000)
Insurance settlement		(2,437,000)	0
Gain on sale of plastic fittings manufacturing assets		0
Impairment charges		0
Severance			3,369,000
Operating income		(24,840,000)	(27,396,000)	(17,629,000)
General Corporate [Member]
Summary of segment information [Abstract]
Expenditures for long-lived assets		3,253,000	17,290,000	361,000
Segment assets		$ 317,344,000	$ 282,668,000	$ 518,149,000