BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	9 Months Ended
BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	Sep. 26, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	We prepared the condensed consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim reporting. As permitted under those rules and regulations, certain footnotes or other financial information normally required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) can be condensed or omitted. The financial statements represent our accounts after the elimination of intercompany transactions and, in our opinion, include the adjustments (consisting only of normal and recurring items) necessary for their fair presentation.
Spin-Off	Spin-Off of FLOW Business On September 26, 2015 (the “Distribution Date”), we completed the spin-off to our stockholders (the “Spin-Off”) of all the outstanding shares of SPX FLOW, Inc. (“SPX FLOW”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SPX prior to the Spin-Off, which at the time of the Spin-Off held the businesses comprising our Flow Technology reportable segment, our Hydraulic Technologies business, and certain of our corporate subsidiaries (collectively, the “FLOW Business”). On the Distribution Date, each of our stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 16, 2015 (the “Record Date”) received one share of common stock of SPX FLOW for every share of SPX common stock held as of the Record Date. SPX FLOW is now an independent public company trading under the symbol “FLOW” on the New York Stock Exchange. Following the Spin-Off, SPX’s common stock continues to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, but trades under the new ticker symbol, “SPXC”. The financial results of SPX FLOW for the three and nine months ended September 26, 2015 and September 27, 2014 have been classified as discontinued operations within the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. See Note 3 for additional information regarding discontinued operations. In connection with the Spin-Off, SPX and SPX FLOW entered into several agreements, including administrative agreements covering various services, such as information technology, human resources and finance, to be provided by each party for a period of up to 12 months following the effective date of the Spin-Off. The transition services agreements contain customary mutual indemnification provisions. During the three and nine months ended September 26, 2015, we incurred $16.8 and $30.8, respectively, of professional fees and other costs in connection with the Spin-Off. These costs have been recorded in discontinued operations within the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Reportable Segments	New Segment Reporting Structure Prior to the Spin-Off, we aggregated certain of our operating segments into two reportable segments, Flow Technology and Thermal Equipment and Services, while our remaining operating segments, which included our Hydraulic Technologies business, were combined within an “All Other” category that we referred to as Industrial Products and Services and Other. As noted above, the Spin-Off included our Flow Technology reportable segment and our Hydraulic Technologies business. In addition, the Spin-Off resulted in a change of our chief operating decision maker (“CODM”). As a result of the Spin-Off, we realigned our segment reporting structure, effective for the quarter ended September 26, 2015. Under the realigned structure, our reportable segments are as follows: HVAC, Detection and Measurement, and Power. The realigned segment reporting structure reflects the manner in which our new CODM is managing our business. In connection with the change in reportable segments, and in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 350, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other,” we reallocated goodwill among certain of our reporting units based on the respective fair value of such reporting units. See Note 4 for additional information regarding our realigned segment reporting structure and Note 7 regarding the goodwill and intangible assets of our reportable segments.
Consolidation, Variable Interest Entity	We account for investments in unconsolidated companies where we exercise significant influence but do not have control using the equity method. In determining whether we are the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”), we perform a qualitative analysis that considers the design of the VIE, the nature of our involvement and the variable interests held by other parties to determine which party has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, and which party has the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. We have interests in VIEs, primarily joint ventures, in which we are the primary beneficiary and others in which we are not. Our VIEs are considered immaterial, individually and in aggregate, to our condensed consolidated financial statements.
Use of Estimates	Preparing financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Actual results could differ from these estimates. The unaudited information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements contained in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of full year results. We have reclassified certain prior year amounts, including (i) the results of discontinued operations and (ii) information on reportable segments to conform to the current year presentation. Unless otherwise indicated, amounts provided in these Notes pertain to continuing operations only. See Note 3 for information on discontinued operations.
Fiscal Period	We establish actual interim closing dates using a fiscal calendar, which requires our businesses to close their books on the Saturday closest to the end of the first calendar quarter, with the second and third quarters being 91 days in length. Our fourth quarter ends on December 31. The interim closing dates for the first, second and third quarters of 2015 are March 28, June 27 and September 26, compared to the respective March 29, June 28 and September 27, 2014 dates. We had one less day in the first quarter of 2015 and will have one more day in the fourth quarter of 2015 than in the respective 2014 periods.
New Accounting Pronouncements	NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS The following is a summary of new accounting pronouncements that apply or may apply to our business. In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an amendment to guidance to change the criteria for determining which disposals of components of an entity can be presented as discontinued operations and to modify related disclosure requirements. Under the amended guidance, a discontinued operation is defined as a disposal of a component or group of components that is disposed of or is classified as held for sale and represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results. The amendment states that a “strategic shift” could include a disposal of (i) a major geographical area of operations, (ii) a major line of business, (iii) a major equity method investment, or (iv) other major parts of an entity. The standard no longer precludes presentation as a discontinued operation if there are operations and cash flows of the component that have not been eliminated from the reporting entity’s ongoing operations, or there is significant continuing involvement with a component after its disposal. This amendment was effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2014 and shall be applied prospectively. We adopted this guidance on January 1, 2015, with the Spin-Off presented in accordance with this amendment. In May 2014, the FASB issued a new standard on revenue recognition that outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The new standard contains a five-step approach that entities will apply to determine the measurement of revenue and timing of when it is recognized, including (i) identifying the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identifying the separate performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determining the transaction price, (iv) allocating the transaction price to separate performance obligations, and (v) recognizing revenue when (or as) each performance obligation is satisfied. The new standard requires a number of disclosures intended to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue, and the related cash flows. The disclosures include qualitative and quantitative information about contracts with customers, significant judgments made in applying the revenue guidance, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract. The standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We are currently evaluating the effect that this new standard will have on our consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued a new standard that requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be reported in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. An amendment to this standard was issued in August 2015 that permits entities to present debt issuance costs related to line-of-credit arrangements as an asset and subsequently amortize such debt issuance costs ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line-of-credit arrangement. The standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and shall be applied retrospectively. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued an amendment to existing guidance that, among other changes, permits an entity that has a significant event in an interim period that requires a remeasurement of defined benefit plan assets and obligations to remeasure such assets and obligations using the month-end date that is closest to the date of the significant event, rather than the date of the plan event. Under the amended guidance, the month-end remeasurement of defined benefit plan assets and obligations that is closest to the date of the significant event should be adjusted to reflect any effects of the significant event, to the extent those effects are not captured in the month-end measurement. An entity is required to disclose its accounting policy election and the dates used to measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations in accordance with the provisions of this amended guidance. Although earlier application is permitted, the amendment is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and shall be applied prospectively. We early adopted the provisions of this amendment during the third quarter of 2015 in connection with an amendment to certain of our U.S. pension plans during the period. See Note 9 for additional information on the adoption of this amendment and the impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

Disclosure of accounting policy for consolidation to describe the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest held by the entity requires the variable interest entity to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the variable interest entity; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; and the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities that significantly impact the economic performance of the variable interest entity are shared (as defined).

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for determining an entity's fiscal year or other fiscal period. This disclosure may include identification of the fiscal period end-date, the length of the fiscal period, any reporting period lag between the entity and its subsidiaries, or equity investees. If a reporting lag exists, the closing date of the entity having a different period end is generally noted, along with an explanation of the necessity for using different closing dates. Any intervening events that materially affect the entity's financial position or results of operations are generally also disclosed.

+ References + Details