The solenoid Valve has two distinct styles within which all other styles must branch off from; pneumatic and hydraulic triggers. Which category a solenoid valve falls into basically depends on the context of its application. If the machine is run by hydraulics then the solenoid valve is considered a valve but if the system is pneumatic then the solenoid valve is considered pneumatic too. Hydraulic is a phrase referring to liquid powered mechanics while pneumatic refers to gas powered mechanics. Every solenoid valve functions in one or the other of these two categories, whether it is large or small, has multiple channels or just one.

A hydraulic system is particularly fascinating because of the immense amount of power that is possible. It is an amazing thing that a piece as small and simple as a solenoid valve can be apart of something so large and powerful as an industrial hydraulic press, which is able to generate hundreds of tons worth of strength. Fashioned from a variety of different materials, usually some sort of plastic or metal, the specific type depends on the substance it will be processing. For example, stainless steel is resilient when processing chemicals but when water is flowing through it the steel will rust, so it is not a good choice when water is involved.

Applications that utilize the powerhouse hydraulic system that includes the little solenoid Valve are plentiful. To name just a few among a variety of industries, stump grinders, bucket trucks, wood chippers, car crushers, automobile transmissions, snowplows, backhoes, steamrollers, road pavers, excavators and cranes all depend on hydraulic mechanics and solenoid valves. There are even custom designed solenoid valves used in chemical plants that have been treated to be immune to explosive tendencies because of the danger involved if a spark should go off during a chemical process.