Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands	Jul. 02, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jul. 03, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 68,972	$ 46,056	$ 38,580	$ 33,396
Accounts and notes receivable, net	595,407	516,905	475,679
Inventories	484,795	405,356	389,428
Deferred tax assets	60,833	56,349	49,058
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	124,632	44,631	42,878
Total current assets	1,334,639	1,069,297	995,623
Property, plant and equipment, net	410,547	329,435	318,124
Other assets
Goodwill	2,573,430	2,066,044	2,033,064	2,088,797
Intangibles, net	654,908	453,570	451,806
Other	78,788	55,187	54,083
Total other assets	3,307,126	2,574,801	2,538,953
Total assets	5,052,312	3,973,533	3,852,700
Current liabilities
Short-term borrowings	21,451	4,933	2,320
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,289	18	163
Accounts payable	315,403	262,357	248,679
Employee compensation and benefits	108,836	107,995	86,471
Current pension and post-retirement benefits	8,733	8,733	8,948
Accrued product claims and warranties	47,259	42,295	42,981
Income taxes	21,498	5,964	23,252
Accrued rebates and sales incentives	42,567	33,559	34,418
Other current liabilities	144,366	80,942	78,496
Total current liabilities	711,402	546,796	525,728
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	1,384,167	702,521	734,472
Pension and other retirement compensation	217,021	209,859	213,142
Post-retirement medical and other benefits	27,954	30,325	29,819
Long-term income taxes payable	23,832	23,507	24,821
Deferred tax liabilities	235,422	169,198	139,977
Other non-current liabilities	85,660	86,295	92,926
Total liabilities	2,685,458	1,768,501	1,760,885
Noncontrolling interest	117,500	111,879	111,310
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair, Inc.	2,249,354	2,093,153	1,980,505
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	5,052,312	3,973,533	3,852,700
Parent Company
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	4,836	3,201	2,851	2,032
Accounts and notes receivable, net	796	678	1,430
Deferred tax assets	113,205	115,722	121,551
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	8,958	8,278	4,937
Total current assets	127,795	127,879	130,769
Property, plant and equipment, net	20,172	17,392	14,504
Other assets
Investments in/advances to subsidiaries	2,856,562	2,355,343	2,330,701
Other	75,538	56,052	59,385
Total other assets	2,932,100	2,411,395	2,390,086
Total assets	3,080,067	2,556,666	2,535,359
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt	2,905	135,678	93,000
Accounts payable	5,781	4,908	3,532
Employee compensation and benefits	32,294	38,513	26,002
Current pension and post-retirement benefits	8,733	8,733	8,948
Accrued product claims and warranties	12,248	12,245
Income taxes	9,106	4,788	13,331
Other current liabilities	14,874	9,772	17,051
Total current liabilities	85,941	214,637	161,864
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	1,265,400	702,500	734,400
Pension and other retirement compensation	136,901	136,750	141,190
Post-retirement medical and other benefits	17,679	18,388	19,029
Long-term income taxes payable	23,832	23,507	24,821
Deferred tax liabilities	10	5	484
Due to/ (from) affiliates	(743,661)	(678,966)	(571,185)
Other non-current liabilities	44,611	46,692	44,251
Total liabilities	830,713	463,513	554,854
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair, Inc.	2,249,354	2,093,153	1,980,505
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	3,080,067	2,556,666	2,535,359
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	4,651	3,404	3,647	1,813
Accounts and notes receivable, net	317,365	357,730	319,943
Inventories	203,998	232,369	239,255
Deferred tax assets	40,363	40,064	35,218
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	14,973	10,098	12,048
Total current assets	581,350	643,665	610,111
Property, plant and equipment, net	110,551	144,332	146,412
Other assets
Investments in/advances to subsidiaries	599,056	89,659	89,758
Goodwill	1,471,582	1,549,537	1,549,537
Intangibles, net	217,311	265,987	273,786
Other	4,821	4,045	3,857
Total other assets	2,292,770	1,909,228	1,916,938
Total assets	2,984,671	2,697,225	2,673,461
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt			35
Accounts payable	160,537	170,747	178,314
Employee compensation and benefits	22,791	32,167	29,135
Accrued product claims and warranties	22,574	23,410	26,478
Income taxes	5,720	633	7,790
Accrued rebates and sales incentives	32,219	23,500	26,814
Other current liabilities	37,558	33,227	35,112
Total current liabilities	281,399	283,684	303,678
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	2,417,890	1,947,400	1,947,442
Pension and other retirement compensation	38	112	6,293
Post-retirement medical and other benefits	35,323	36,986	38,635
Deferred tax liabilities	213,201	213,385	198,892
Due to/ (from) affiliates	(261,361)	(80,779)	(90,379)
Other non-current liabilities	1,701	1,892	4,205
Total liabilities	2,688,191	2,402,680	2,408,766
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair, Inc.	296,480	294,545	264,695
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	2,984,671	2,697,225	2,673,461
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	59,485	39,451	32,082	29,551
Accounts and notes receivable, net	375,242	222,319	218,654
Inventories	280,797	172,987	150,173
Deferred tax assets	13,247	7,928	6,220
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	118,638	51,497	35,213
Total current assets	847,409	494,182	442,342
Property, plant and equipment, net	279,824	167,711	157,208
Other assets
Investments in/advances to subsidiaries	686,070	748,181	662,849
Goodwill	1,101,848	516,507	483,527
Intangibles, net	437,597	187,583	178,020
Other	23,477	20,139	18,686
Total other assets	2,248,992	1,472,410	1,343,082
Total assets	3,376,225	2,134,303	1,942,632
Current liabilities
Short-term borrowings	21,451	4,933	2,320
Current maturities of long-term debt	29,220	18,154	20,392
Accounts payable	247,182	150,517	131,222
Employee compensation and benefits	53,751	37,315	31,334
Accrued product claims and warranties	12,437	6,640	16,503
Income taxes	6,672	543	2,131
Accrued rebates and sales incentives	10,348	10,059	7,604
Other current liabilities	110,149	63,185	35,611
Total current liabilities	491,210	291,346	247,117
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	1,033,600	377,539	345,975
Pension and other retirement compensation	80,082	72,997	65,659
Deferred tax liabilities	128,192	63,173	54,532
Due to/ (from) affiliates	1,024,935	810,652	714,628
Other non-current liabilities	39,348	37,711	44,470
Total liabilities	2,797,367	1,653,418	1,472,381
Noncontrolling interest	117,500	111,879	111,310
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair, Inc.	461,358	369,006	358,941
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	3,376,225	2,134,303	1,942,632
Consolidation, Eliminations
Current assets
Accounts and notes receivable, net	(97,996)	(63,822)	(64,348)
Deferred tax assets	(105,982)	(107,365)	(113,931)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(17,937)	(25,242)	(9,320)
Total current assets	(221,915)	(196,429)	(187,599)
Other assets
Investments in/advances to subsidiaries	(4,141,688)	(3,193,183)	(3,083,308)
Other	(25,048)	(25,049)	(27,845)
Total other assets	(4,166,736)	(3,218,232)	(3,111,153)
Total assets	(4,388,651)	(3,414,661)	(3,298,752)
Current liabilities
Current maturities of long-term debt	(30,836)	(153,814)	(113,264)
Accounts payable	(98,097)	(63,815)	(64,389)
Other current liabilities	(18,215)	(25,242)	(9,278)
Total current liabilities	(147,148)	(242,871)	(186,931)
Other liabilities
Long-term debt	(3,332,723)	(2,324,918)	(2,293,345)
Post-retirement medical and other benefits	(25,048)	(25,049)	(27,845)
Deferred tax liabilities	(105,981)	(107,365)	(113,931)
Due to/ (from) affiliates	(19,913)	(50,907)	(53,064)
Total liabilities	(3,630,813)	(2,751,110)	(2,675,116)
Shareholders' equity attributable to Pentair, Inc.	(757,838)	(663,551)	(623,636)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ (4,388,651)	$ (3,414,661)	$ (3,298,752)