Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended					12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended												1 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 29, 2012	Oct. 04, 2012 Pentair Middle East Holding S.a.r.l.	Dec. 31, 2013 CPT	Dec. 31, 2012 CPT	Sep. 29, 2012 Credit Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Credit Facility	Apr. 30, 2011 Credit Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Credit Facilities	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum	Oct. 30, 2012 Senior Notes	Oct. 31, 2012 Senior Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes, 5.000% Due 2021	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes, 5.000% Due 2021	May 31, 2011 Senior Notes, 5.000% Due 2021	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes, 5.000% Due 2021 Fixed Rate	Nov. 30, 2012 Senior Notes 3.50% due 2015	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes 3.50% due 2015 Fixed Rate	Nov. 30, 2012 Senior Notes 2.650% due 2019	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes 2.650% due 2019 Fixed Rate	Oct. 31, 2012 Senior Notes 5.65% Fixed Rate	Oct. 31, 2012 Senior Notes 5.65% Fixed Rate Minimum	Oct. 31, 2012 Senior Notes 5.65% Fixed Rate Maximum	Oct. 31, 2012 Senior Notes 1.05% Due 2013 Floating Rate	Oct. 30, 2012 Senior Notes 1.05% Due 2013 Senior Notes	Sep. 29, 2012 Senior Notes 3.150% due 2022	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes 3.150% due 2022 Fixed Rate	Sep. 29, 2012 Senior Notes 1.875 % due 2017	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes 1.875 % due 2017 Fixed Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Subsidiary Issuer	Dec. 31, 2012 Subsidiary Issuer	Dec. 31, 2013 Subsidiary Issuer Senior Notes, 5.000% Due 2021	Dec. 31, 2013 Subsidiary Issuer Senior Notes 3.50% due 2015	Dec. 31, 2013 Subsidiary Issuer Senior Notes 2.650% due 2019	Dec. 31, 2013 Subsidiary Issuer Senior Notes 3.150% due 2022	Dec. 31, 2013 Subsidiary Issuer Senior Notes 1.875 % due 2017
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Ownership percentage																																	100.00%
Aggregate principal amount																	$ 373,000,000	$ 500,000,000		$ 350,000,000		$ 250,000,000							$ 550,000,000		$ 350,000,000
Debt, interest rate																	5.00%			1.35%		2.65%		5.65%					3.15%		1.875%				5.00%	1.35%	2.65%	3.15%	1.875%
Debt, maturity year																	2021	2021	2021	2015	2015	2019	2019		2013	2017	2013		2022	2022	2017	2017			2021	2015	2019	2022	2017
Debt transaction cost paid	0	74,800,000	0													5,600,000																		0
Aggregate principal amount																	127,000,000
Outstanding aggregate principal																								400,000,000
Floating rate notes																											1.05%
Redemption value																												100,000,000
Whole premium amount															65,800,000
Terminate related interest rate swaps														3,400,000
Unamortized deferred financing costs															600,000
Debt instrument proceeds used to repay amounts of other debt				435,000,000						105,000,000
Credit facility maximum borrowing capacity								1,450,000,000		700,000,000	86,700,000
Previous revolving credit facility								700,000,000
Credit facility expiration date								Sep. 30, 2017
Facility Fees, minimum								0.0010
Facility Fees, maximum								0.0030
Credit facility interest rate, before the addition of LIBOR										1.75%
Commercial paper outstanding	528,900,000	424,700,000
Remaining availability under Credit Facility									921,100,000
Percentage Of Ownership Interest Acquired					25.00%
Cash paid					100,000,000
Cost and expenses incurred in connection with acquisition	8,200,000	57,300,000	8,200,000										40,000,000
Debt agreement financial covenant, leverage ratio												3.50	3.00
Compliance with debt agreement financial covenants	we were in compliance with all financial covenants in our debt agreements.
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding									0		0
Capital lease obligation cost						41,700,000	40,500,000
Accumulated amortization						7,600,000	6,000,000
Future minimum lease payments	23,300,000
Imputed interest	$ 1,800,000