# Why does a sum of hours reset after 24 hours?

The h:mm format shows only the part of the total under a day. Multiply by 24 for decimal hours, =SUM(B2:B6)*24, or format the total as [h]:mm.

**Excel:** `=SUM(B2:B6)*24` (Every current version)

**Google Sheets:** the same formula works.

## Example

Sample data (row 1 is the header):

| A | B | C | D |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Day | Hours worked |  | Total hours |
| Mon | 0.3541666666666667 |  |  |
| Tue | 0.3854166666666667 |  |  |
| Wed | 0.3229166666666667 |  |  |
| Thu | 0.3333333333333333 |  |  |
| Fri | 0.4166666666666667 |  |  |

Formula in D2: `=SUM(B2:B6)*24`

Result: 43.50

## How it works

Times are fractions of a day, and the h:mm format shows only the part of the total that is less than a day: 43.5 hours displays as 19:30. Multiplying the sum by 24 turns days into hours, 43.5, which also works directly in pay calculations. To keep a time display instead, give the total the custom format [h]:mm; the brackets let hours run past 24.

## Other ways

- `=ROUND(SUM(B2:B6)*24,2)`: Rounds away tiny floating-point leftovers, such as 43.4999999.

## Common mistakes

- Durations typed as text, like "8h30", are skipped by SUM.
- Format the decimal result as a number, not a time, or 43.5 is shown as a time of day.

## Questions

**How do I show 43:30 instead of 43.5?**

Keep `=SUM(B2:B6)` and apply the custom number format [h]:mm.

**Does Google Sheets need the same fix?**

Yes. Use Format, Number, Duration, or multiply by 24.

Every formula and result on this page was checked by running it in the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine on 2026-10-30.

Source: https://spreadsheetpractice.com/formulas/sum-of-hours-resets-after-24